


For A Reason: Accordance

by mirqueen



Series: For A Reason [2]
Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Drama, Family, Friendship, Gen, Original Character(s), Original Female Character - Freeform, Spiritual
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-01-17 16:38:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 135,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12369774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirqueen/pseuds/mirqueen
Summary: Two very different lives collide as the old encounters the new. Two very different fates intertwine as the future begins to take shape. (AU)





	1. Prologue: A Secret Kept

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Notes:**  
Welcome to _For A Reason: Accordance_! This story is the sequel to _For A Reason: Inauguration_. You will need to read that story first to understand this one.

I began the _For A Reason_ series on September 27, 2011 and after six years of grueling writer's block constantly dogging my steps, I finally was able to settle down and complete my baby _Inauguration_ by October 15, 2017. I want to extend a warm message to everyone who read and reviewed that first tale. It was a treat and a joy to discuss the story with each and every person involved. Thank you!

As a forewarning, I never tell what my future pairings are, no matter how small or trivial they may seem. Even if it's who Katie Marshall is dating two years down the road (I don't have any idea, actually, haha!), I still don't reveal it until it's published in the story.

Images & inspirations for this story:  **[FaR Inspirations](farinspirations.tumblr.com)** is the blog. There is a 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works. Thank you for joining this journey!

> **Prologue: A Secret Kept**

Vivid, exuberant summer with its verdant foliage and uncounted colorful shades of nature had bloomed and faded as a cherry blossom in the spring, falling with startling speed into the many different leaves and trailing brisk winds of long, winding autumn – not to mention the unending pour of rain.

July, August, and September had passed through the tiny town of Forks, Washington like a guarded secret would move through the hallways of the high school.

Dressing for school on a seemingly average Wednesday, I couldn't repress a snort at the thought. As much as I hoped Jessica Stanley's surprise birthday card wouldn't be revealed before we delivered it later in the day, I also knew precisely how long secrets lasted – not only at Forks High School, but specifically in the possession of one Katie Marshall.

Katie was a nice girl, certainly, and she could be a lot of fun, but the redhead's inability to keep a secret had become the bane of every birthday surprise I took part in that summer.

To be exact, four different birthdays accumulated my time and effort throughout the last three months, although I didn't mind at all.

Whitney Duran had invited me to the birthday barbecue her parents held in late July, an event which Carlisle, Esme, and Edward graciously attended with me; much as I had teased Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett as chickens, they had still made excuses of other plans – nonexistent though they had actually been.

The Duran family's tiny birthday affair on the twenty-fifth had been meant not only to celebrate Whitney's adult status, but to celebrate her physical recovery from Vanessa Travis' attack at Prom in May. The strawberry blonde and her thirteen-year-old brother still faced therapy with a counselor that Carlisle had recommended, but Whitney and Justin seemed a little happier and bit more peaceful by the time the now-eighteen-year-old's birthday party had taken place.

Even Matthew and Christina seemed to have gained a measure of peace between them, although I imagined Whitney and Christina's apparent reconciliation had helped. Whatever had possessed the mother of two to ignore Whitney's truths all those years, it had disappeared along with Vanessa Travis. Many times during Whitney's birthday party I had watched Christina hug, comfort, or simply smile at her daughter with genuine love.

On August eighth, Alice and Rosalie had made a big hunting to-do for Emmett's birthday. I had purchased an adorable stuffed black bear for the burly vampire, something he had guffawed over before handing the soft toy over for my collection – a compilation which had grown enormous thanks to the Cullens.

Each of the vampires had bought a stuffed animal to commemorate the significant cities we visited on our month-long road trip in June. From Houston to Gatlinburg to Lansing and nearly every place in-between, the family had been collecting plush toys to surprise me on Independence Day. Emmett had also added a patriotic penguin for the holiday itself. With such a large grouping of plush, I finally decided I had to name them and spent weeks afterward contemplating poignant monikers.

All the days spent trying to find significant names, I had lined the toys up along the window seat and sat on the bed opposite to eye them conceptually. When I had chosen 'Kenobi' for the stuffed Ewok Emmett had given me for Thanksgiving, the bulky vampire had appeared in my room whooping for joy.

Austin Marks' and Ben Cheney's parents had jointly hosted a rollerblading party in August, to which it seemed every teen in town had gone. With Austin turning eighteen on the twelfth of August and Ben's birthday on the twenty-ninth of September, they had held the birthday celebration right in the middle of the two dates on the last weekend before school started up again - all so the two best friends could share the big day.

It had amused me to realize there was still something I didn't own, even after all the gifts from the Cullen family since my appearance in their lives. Alice had made sure I purchased both a pair of rollerblades and a pair of rollerskates just to be certain I was covered.

For most of the summer, both Emmett and Jasper had joined me religiously every Saturday to indulge in a _Star Wars_ marathon. While we mostly favored the original trilogy, I adored Ewan McGregor's snarky, charming performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi, more screen time for Master Yoda, and the much more brilliant utilization of lightsaber techniques in the newest films.

Newest in the Cullens' time, at least. Coming from a future date had left me at loose ends sometimes in regards to film and song releases, and the as-yet unreleased _Revenge of the Sith_ was one example. Hence why another part of my summer was spent poring over release dates for movies and music. After a while, I had memorized an insanely long list of media pertinent to the present date, something on which all of the Cullens had happily quizzed me to ensure my new knowledge was solid.

I certainly had many reasons to use my expanded knowledge base when we had returned from our June road trip. Considering the apologies and forgiveness between both Katie and me and between the Webers and Cullens overall, I had spent a lot of Friday nights at either Katie's or Angela's house. Jessica had yet to be allowed the privilege at her own house and I could hardly offer up the Cullens' home with so much that could be questionable to a curious human eye. The sleepover ritual became almost overwhelming at first, until Esme put in a gentle suggestion that we also had family moments that might require some of my Fridays nights to be free.

A couple of those Fridays I had spent talking with Whitney over the phone. After so long being Vanessa's scapegoat, the teen had lost all desire to keep friends or even make them in the first place. Whitney had known all too well that Vanessa would use friends against her – and that Greg Overman would enforce his girlfriend's threats to a tee.

Given Vanessa and Greg's long-term sentences behind bars for all their abuses, no one had to worry anymore about siblings and friends being damaged for the sake of jealousy and cruelty. Vanessa had been locked away with only one visitor: her father, Keith Travis.

While I relished the fact that my suggestion of finding Vanessa's father had reunited Keith with the daughter he lost years ago to her self-absorbed mother, it had also proved Vanessa no more wanted to change her sadistic ways than Carlisle Cullen wanted to hunt human beings.

Charlie Swan's secretive and technically unlawful rendition of the glass and telephone meeting between father and daughter had equally confirmed a suspicion in my mind and broken my heart. Vanessa had already gone so far beyond wanting love that she didn't seem to understand it was what she always craved, or that her craving was the very thing that had begun her envious bullying early on.

Apparently Keith intended to keep visiting his only child in spite of her refusal to change. I admired Keith's devotion; after losing his daughter once before – to the lies of said daughter's mother, no less – Keith refused to ever leave Vanessa again, no matter how low she sunk or how many years she spent behind bars.

Vanessa unfortunately had good company in the form of her dear mother. Linda Keller had gone to trial for embezzlement and fraud in a fourteen-year-old cold case. More accurately, Linda _Dennison_ had gone to trial. Tony Keller had been so furious over his wife's deceptions that he filed for divorce before Linda's case even opened in court. The marriage ended in a very short time, leaving Linda with a demand that she use her maiden name rather than Tony's. The self-righteous businessman hardly wanted his pricey restaurants besmirched with Linda's and Vanessa's crimes.

Despite newfound freedom from the monstrous circumstance with Vanessa, an eighteen-year-old young woman had been left with no idea how to reach out and rebuild herself. Given Carlisle's discussions with Whitney's father, we had realized Whitney felt a connection to me – the first since the tragic turn her life had taken. Between the Cullens and the Durans, I hoped to push Whitney up and help her live life to the fullest somehow, as well as tentatively getting her to take self-defense. She didn't have to train with Daniel Griffin, as I did, but no matter who trained her, I knew very well how it improved self esteem and self respect to learn such a practice.

Whitney's situation was one of two in which I now had to take a definite initiative. After Vanessa's threats had extended over Angela's head, the tall sophomore had taken a confidence hit that needed gentle persuasion to build back up. Yet I wasn't concerned; I had done it once and I could help do it again. With Dale and Julie Weber no longer living in fear, the parents of three working in tandem with Carlisle, Esme, and me could do considerable good for Angela after her scare.

Between the healing of all my human friends, no matter how slow, and the solid level of comfort between the Cullens and I after all we had shared, the end of summer left me in a fit of utter contentment as we returned to school in September.

There were, of course, times when human curiosity drove little wedges between me and the friends I had been making in Forks. In the worst of those moments, I kept hard secrets by offering half-truths and anecdotes that didn't actually exist, but the Cullens' security always came first for me. Their future – and Edward's hope – would arrive before we knew it. My soul itself rebelled against doing anything that would come between Edward and his happiness.

Until Bella Swan joined her father in January, it was my solemn yet joyful responsibility to ensure the way remained clear for the Cullen family's happy beginning.

* * *


	2. Chapter 1: Anniversary

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Notes:  
** Welcome to _For A Reason: Accordance_! This story is the sequel to _For A Reason: Inauguration_.

As a forewarning, I never tell what my pairings will be, no matter how small or trivial they may seem.

Images & inspirations for this story:  **[FaR Inspirations](farinspirations.tumblr.com)** is the blog. There is a 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Song Inspiration:** _  
Just Kids_ by Alex & Sierra

**Previously** – Twenty-year-old Mireille Claire Holden appeared in the world of Forks completely by chance. The Cullen family helped her create a new life as Mireille Whitlock. During Mireille's inauguration to Forks and the world of _Twilight_ , Mireille gained friends and rivals while facing her own strengths and weaknesses. With the Cullens' help and her own perseverance, Mireille eventually overcame her worst human enemy – the violent, aggressive Vanessa Travis. Most importantly, the Cullens helped Mireille to overcome her inner demons and accept herself as she is. Mireille recalled summer events, bonding with friends and the Cullens, and Bella Swan's imminent arrival.

> **Chapter 1: Anniversary**

There were times when it seemed impossible a whole year had passed since my sudden, unexpected appearance in the lives and world of the Cullen family. Other times, however, it seemed impossible that it wasn't a much longer period of time. We had all experienced so much together that it often felt as though we had always been a part of each others' lives.

Yet in one week, it would be October thirteenth and one full year – down to the wire – since the night I had run through the woods in terror of the unknown.

Emmett had been making jokes all week about the impending 'anniversary' and Edward had (for once) not been disturbed by his brother's typically obnoxious humor. The bronze-haired vampire had, in fact, joined in on the fun along with Alice, Jasper, and occasionally Rosalie. Carlisle and Esme had refrained out of an awkwardly amused sense of kindness.

Even at school, I couldn't escape the furtive remarks of my 'relatives' at lunchtime and in the few classes we shared.

Once again, Edward and I had a math class first thing in the morning, so the comments usually started in Trigonometry, leaving my whole day to begin with mild annoyance. Then gym would roll around with Rosalie, Tyler, and Whitney. While Rosalie normally kept comments to herself in the face of my frequent agitation with Tyler, the blonde vampire had often found reason to tease regardless lately.

Angela's presence during AP English Language and Composition third period often softened my outlook about the Cullen 'kids' and their teasing. Fourth period Spanish with Jessica, Conner, and Eric would tame my temper even more before lunch, which was certainly a good thing considering the Cullens' group attack method at our shared table.

In Economics with Jasper, Samantha, and Austin, I often knew exactly the moment Jasper was about to tip off a joke of some kind. It appeared so obvious when Samantha actually smiled under Jasper's inadvertent burst of humor spreading across the room. There was no time to find peace before PSSC Physics with Rosalie in last period, leading me to end the day on a rather irritable note occasionally.

Shaking my head at the madness of it all, I returned with greater concentration to getting ready for Jessica Stanley's Friday night birthday sleepover. We'd already attended her birthday party on Wednesday, but Jessica had publicly begged her parents to let Angela, Katie, and I stay over on the weekend. Leonard Stanley hadn't waited for his wife's edgy approval before immediately agreeing to his baby girl's request.

I'd never seen Mr. Stanley before Jessica's birthday and I was never exactly sure what I expected to find when I finally did meet him. Whatever I had subconsciously expected, it certainly wasn't an average-height gentleman with graying brown hair and mustache, rectangular glasses, and a stodgy light blue business suit on the slightly untrimmed figure of a once-fit frame.

As much distance as there clearly was between mother and daughter, there was equally as much closeness between Jessica and her father. Jessica was most definitely a daddy's girl. At the same time, Leonard spent very little time with his daughter, a fact I frowned upon most severely, but Carlisle had carefully cautioned me to keep quiet; it wasn't really our business, no matter how wrong it was.

Frowning anew at the strangely loving yet distant relationship between Mr. Stanley and his daughter, I shook that thought off as well and pulled my curling hair into a tiny ponytail.

Given six months of uninterrupted growth and the best care that money and experience could provide, my hair had reclaimed much its former glory, if not the same length yet, with commendable speed. After a good range of time away from the incident which had taken my hair so brutally, I was now able to see a lot of benefits to the present length of my hair. For one thing, it felt lighter and cooler hanging just at my shoulders rather than to the middle of my back as it once had. For another thing, wearing a ponytail didn't put so much pressure on my scalp now, nor leave me with the small headaches that had so often annoyed me in the past.

Ready at last for the night ahead, I picked up my purse, duffel, and sleeping bag and headed downstairs as I recalled the drive to the Stanley home just to make sure I remembered the way. I wished it was taking place at Angela's instead, the way all too familiar to me after so many sleepovers and casual visits there.

"You ought to have the drive Angela's house memorized by now," Edward suggested amusedly to my mental process once I stepped off the circular staircase.

"She _has_ spent at least two days there every week for the past three months," Rosalie added wryly to her brother's statement, flipping through her magazine without even looking up at me.

Dale and Julie practically let me walk in unannounced these days, it was true. Given another month or two of the current pattern and I suspected that would probably be the complete truth. Given perhaps another four months or so, it would probably be true at Katie's vividly yellow house, too, although I always felt most comfortable at the Webers' place.

Still, Rosalie and Edward were simply being pedantic now. Rolling blue eyes heavenward, I nonetheless wondered to the room at large, "When did Edward and Rose become the class comedians?"

"Sometime after Emmett became class clown," Jasper offered with a challenging glint in his partially darkened eyes, a game controller all too lax in his confident hands.

Scowling at his battle-scarred brother, Emmett stood up with a quietly uttered 'jerk' and sat further away from the Texan vampire, his only other response an attempt at playing more dangerously and offensively on the playstation military game the two had indulged days before. They had been at it for hours on end every day, Emmett never giving in to Jasper's consistent success.

"Don't antagonize Em _too_ much, Jazz," I told the former soldier, a suppressed grin waiting to break free on my features.

"I would encourage precisely the opposite," Alice insisted deviously where she sat comfortably curled up beside Jasper on the white sofa. "I still haven't forgiven Emmett for breaking the computer for a month straight. My fashion designs simply _withered_ away for days on end."

"Really, Alice," Esme scolded her future-seeing child humorously, moving a pawn across the chess board as she did so.

"Mireille, are you certain you don't need a lift?" Carlisle inquired politely, knowing full well what my answer would be.

"Hey, none of that chivalry just yet," I instructed the good doctor teasingly, pulling on a jacket and tugging the hood over my causal hairstyle to protect against the light rain.

"I fear I cannot help it," Carlisle teased in return, the hints of an English accent peeking through in his voice. "It is rather disconcerting to give up parental privilege so soon."

I laughed over his sweet notion of parenting me, but responded firmly, "I'm a free woman now. I want to live it to the fullest as often as I can."

"We've learned that very well this summer," Esme chuckled with her husband. "Just be careful, Mir. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you over a bout of carelessness."

"I'll be careful, Esme, I promise you that," I agreed, smiling as I offered a tight hug to the motherly vampire, then moved on to Carlisle with a similarly firm embrace.

"And have fun, of course, sweetheart," Carlisle added gently, smiling warmly as we pulled apart.

"Oh, I will," I agreed with a grin. "I _did_ pick out the movies, after all."

The vampire parents laughed in perfect unison at my remark, leaving me sighing in trademark sentimentality over the perfect match that they were. In turn, my sentimentality left Edward chuckling richly at me. Ignoring the lean vampire's lack of poetic spirit with expert finesse after so many months in his company, I finally walked out to my blue Acura.

As I always did now, I admired the lovely white iron and natural wood bench on the porch and the pretty white swing across the front lawn. The swing hung from a sturdy tree limb as big around as Emmett's waist, dropping towards the ground with just enough distance to let a long pair of legs dust the grass beneath it. Artfully falling branches tipped off the edge of the idyllic scene and instilled in me a sense of contentment.

Over the summer, Esme had finally found time, resources, and assistance to assemble and place her beloved gifts from last Christmas. We all helped to build Esme's desired greenhouse out behind the Cullens' large home, the white-framed structure charmingly old-fashioned looking. Those three spots – porch bench, tree swing, and greenhouse – were some of my favorite places to be whenever I ventured outside the house. Already I had depicted the three places on canvas for Esme to hang where she wanted. Her choice to place them in the Conservatory to accent Edward's black baby grand flattered me immensely.

Driving the slightly less familiar path to the Stanley home left me enough time to wonder how long it would take to paint the Cullens' charming white house on canvas also, but it seemed a daunting task as yet. Why I should feel such pressure about merely painting a picture confused me no end. All I could deduce was that it seemed too important of a place to ever mess up in eternal painted memory. Shaking off the intensity of the project, not to mention my worries of ruining such an image, I left the matter alone as I finally came to a stop in front of the overlarge light blue home Jessica lived in.

"Hi, Ray!" Jessica waved along with Angela and Katie from the front porch as I rose from the vehicle.

"Hey, how's it going?" I greeted all of them at once as I picked up my duffel and sleeping bag from the trunk.

The question was completely rhetorical, of course. I saw and phoned each of the three girls often enough to know precisely how things were going in their lives at any given point. Virtues of a small town, I admitted dryly to myself and headed inside the house with my friends.

"Hi, girls," Monica Stanley greeted Angela, Katie, and me with a stiff, social smile. Overdressed for another of our simple Friday night sleepovers, as was her usual way, the black-haired woman held her phone limp at one side. Anyone could see the twitching of her fingers – as if the strain was too much. Monica's urge to pick her phone back up and gossip with her friends once more appeared all too obvious, even to an untrained observer.

"Hello, Mrs. Stanley," I greeted for the three of us, knowing well how uncomfortable both Katie and Angela felt about Jessica's mother.

"Mom, we were going to get pizza tonight," Jessica ventured tentatively to her mother, as if afraid it would be denied.

"Great!" Monica smiled a little wider, yet still with that rigid socialite tone. "I'll be in the den, honey."

Avoiding a wince at the uncharacteristically sweet term by the barest of margins as Mrs. Stanley walked away with an air of relief, I looked away as if my purse felt awkward and needed a readjustment on my shoulder. Uncomfortable and silent, Jessica simply led the way upstairs.

This was actually the very first time I had seen Jessica's room in person, not having had any time at her party to see it. As shockingly orange and hot pink as Angela's bedroom had been, Jessica's aqua and bubblegum pink bedroom assumed a far less blinding quality when I walked inside.

The space was, however, enormous compared to Angela's room and boasted not only a large bed and headboard framed all in bubblegum pink fabric, but on the opposite side of the pink rug-covered loft there was a second bed-like space covered in white comforters and quilts with numerous aqua and pink pillows. Across from the extra bedding area was an entertainment space with light gray bean bag chairs and a low aqua table with a big screen TV. A cute aqua rolling cart had each level labeled for a different part of the hygienic routine - 'face' and 'nails' and 'hair' in bold white delegated each tray. Several small white dressers made up for the lack of closet space; Jessica's closet barely fit all her coats and protective weather gear.

"They had _Spiderman_ ," I announced while we settled our things, choosing a spot beside Angela's orange and hot pink tie-dye printed sleeping bag, "so I didn't bother looking for _Spy Kids 3-D_."

"That's cool," Katie settled happily. While she had been okay with the idea of Spy Kids, I knew she really wanted to see her celebrity crush Toby Macguire.

My movie choices at the nigh-weekly sleepovers generally made everyone relatively happy on our girls' nights, evading the conflict that tended to arise whenever Jessica and Katie tried to agree on a film. I never quite understood why, since they had similar interests, but the two girls simply couldn't agree on movies when left to a choice on their own.

Sure enough _Spiderman_ , _The Cat In The Hat_ , and _13 Going On 30_ were all marvelous hits while we ate pizza and later made sundaes with far too many sugary ingredients. It was only every once in a while, so none of the moms ever made any fuss of our sugary slumber party fare.

Jessica's mother never made an appearance upstairs beyond greeting us, let alone judging our food, which made it all the stranger than she limited Jessica so severely at other people's houses. Regardless, Monica spent a good deal of time on her phone chatting it up with heaven-knew-whom until Jessica's father came home from work and disappeared into his study to work on financial reports until a late dinner with his wife.

The four of us girls fell into exhausted sleep sometime after Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo's characters were married in _13 Going On 30_.

As per usual I was the first one up the next morning. I always got up before anyone else did, but then I supposed sleeping so little at the other girls' houses made that easy for me. Most of the time, I was already awake and just waiting for the moment when I could get ready without waking everyone up.

Monica's unnecessarily early arrivals at the Weber and Marshall homes had caused us girls to rise earlier and eat breakfast sooner at all our sleepovers in general, though. Jessica never got to finish even half her meal thanks to Monica's attempts to keep her daughter on a restricted diet for image's sake. I had once hoped that wasn't the case, knowing from personal experience how it felt to have a mother care more for her image than her daughter's health, but Jessica sadly confirmed the hunch on a night when we both sat up sleepless in our sleeping bags and chattered until sunrise.

Once dressed for the day, I headed down to the main floor and swept over to the cupboards. For the first time at one of our sleepovers, there was no mom up and cooking for us. According to Jessica, Monica usually slept until she had to get ready for work at the bank, leaving little time to do anything so maternal as cooking for her daughter.

Given the situation, I decided with a firm nod that I would have to take up the cooking myself. From personal experience over the summer, I knew darn well Jessica and Katie couldn't handle the kitchen at all. Jessica tended to forget important ingredients and Katie burned toast, for heaven's sake. Angela could make basic things like eggs, but after that she lost all comprehension of the cooking process.

It took a minute to search through the cupboards and determine where everything was, but I finally settled to work making chocolate chip pancakes. Therapeutic as it had become over the summer, cooking focused my mind on everything but my worries and pushed my soul to a temporal feeling of serenity.

Padded steps invaded my serene moments with a satisfactory forewarning before Jessica quietly exclaimed, "Wow!"

"Morning, Jess," I greeted the black-haired girl with a distracted nod while I poured batter into the pan for my last batch of pancakes.

"I didn't know you could cook!" Katie spoke next, following behind Jessica with stunned eyes.

From behind the redhead, Angela looked on with far less surprise, just smiling with a fond sort of indulgence.

"When you did you start that?" Jessica questioned, eyes still a little big. "Did Mrs. Cullen teach you?"

"I've known how to cook some things for few years already," I explained, fibbing the actual amount of years just a little based on my supposed high school age. "I've learned a lot more from Esme this summer, though."

"Isn't it hard to do?" asked Katie, wrinkling her nose distastefully at the mere idea of cooking.

"It used to be," I answered with a nonchalant shrug.

Shrugging as well, Katie and Jessica turned away, clearly uninterested in learning the same skills. The two girls did, however, seem very interested in the pancakes I had made.

"Go ahead and get started," I nodded at Monica Stanley's plain white plates and boring silverware lined up on the counter behind me. "I just have to make this last batch."

No one, not even Angela, stopped to second-guess my instruction, each girl grabbing her plate and fork to dig into the pile of warm chocolate-speckled pancakes with much gusto.

After a pretty hearty breakfast and washing the few dirty dishes we had used, the four of us sat in Jessica's vibrantly pink and aqua loft bedroom to pack up our things and just talk.

"So, what's going on with you and Conner, Jess?" Katie asked of the short girl, strewn across the white bedding in absolute comfort. "Last I knew, you went to Prom. Ray seems to know more than I do, but she won't spill."

"I don't know what's going on with Conner and me," Jessica sighed, slumping into her beanbag disconsolately. "I mean, we get along great and we laugh a lot sometimes, but I just don't know how I feel about it."

"Still pining for little Mikey?" Katie teased, unfailingly amused by Jessica's unending crush on the popular blond-haired boy despite his failings.

The pink tinge on Jessica's face gave it all away before she could even reply, bringing a giggle out of Angela.

"Oh, come on, Jess," Katie pressed, rolling brown eyes upward. "Mike's shown how stupid he really is, hasn't he?"

"I know, I know," Jessica sighed frustratedly over some debate she was obviously resistant to sharing, willing the conversation into awkward silence.

We eventually traversed everything from our English essays to Katie's 'breakup' with Lee two months earlier, when Jessica brought up a subject I had been all too lucky to avoid since July.

"Hey, now that I finally got to host a party," Jessica announced proudly, turning to me with an unfortunate expression borne of mischief, "the next one is on you, Ray."

"Yeah!" Katie agreed enthusiastically. "Angela is the only who's ever seen your house."

"We do have Halloween coming up," Jessica tacked on mercilessly, but in a friendly way. "I bet your house looks awesome when it's decorated…"

"You don't have to, Ray," Angela, ever the kind one, allowed with understanding in spite of her obvious interest in the idea. The most she had ever seen the Cullen house decorated was on the dining room table.

With three fascinated pairs of eyes focused on me so diligently, it seemed my luck had run out at last.

"I'll have to talk with Carlisle and Esme," I deferred upon my 'guardians' and their decision, happy to have them as a buffer.

Thankfully the subject died off when Monica Stanley began preparing for her day on the floor below us.

Safely ensconced with the Cullens at the big white house I had so recently discussed with Jessica, Katie, and Angela, I found Edward's eyes at the piano the moment I dropped my things in the living room.

"We expected this, didn't we?" the bronze-haired vampire sighed resignedly, ending his musical piece abruptly.

"Yes, but not so soon," I admitted and contradicted at the same time.

"What were you expecting?" Esme inquired of us, looking concerned along with everyone else in the family. Even Alice looked surprise, which at least made me feel better about being caught off guard by Jessica's suggestion.

Heaving a sigh, I came to sit beside Esme on the sofa, pulling off my shoes as I began to explain, "Jessica and Katie really want to see this house. Jess even suggested a Halloween party here."

"That's not good," Rosalie commented immediately, turning to face us.

"Is it really that bad?" Emmett wanted to know, giving up on his lost game to join in the conversation.

"It could be problematic," Jasper recommended, "but there are ways to work around that."

"Mireille and I agreed the best thing would be having a room of my own," Edward inserted our plans from that summer.

The more I had ingratiated myself with my human friends in Forks, the more I had thought of Bella's feelings if she found Edward and I shared a room, however little we actually 'shared' in a technical sense. Thus had been born the silent mental plans of giving Edward his own room again.

"We weren't expecting to do this until the time Bella arrives, though," I confessed.

"Where would we put him?" Alice frowned. "Esme only put you in Edward's space because there was nowhere else."

"We thought about that," I mentioned, feeling a slight headache coming on. "We spent a lot of time trying out some plans that might work with Edward's current closet and figured a little leeway for a new room."

"If we could shorten the workroom a little," Edward took over, having disappeared and reappeared with the tentative drawings he and I created over the last three months, "we could use the leftover space to make an even smaller forgery room and leave it unreachable except through the workroom. Then we could use the remaining forgery space on the other side as a full room. It would be smaller than the one we're in now, but it wouldn't be cramped. Mireille might not fit her possessions in it, but I'd be more than able to fit all of my things there."

"May I?" Esme reached out for the drawings, to which Edward handed over the designs we had tried.

In the ensuing silence, Esme examined the pages with an increasingly impressed expression, finally looking back over at us in pleasant surprise.

"These are marvelous," the caramel-haired mother informed us, smiling warmly. "I would only need to tweak a few things to make this work as you planned."

"Are we doing this, then?" Carlisle asked, searching each of our faces for the answer.

"Mireille's friends are already at a point where it seems a little unusual to not have visited our house yet," Rosalie decided, shrugging.

"It's the only real solution," Esme concluded, returning her focus to the plans she held and counting something with soundless movements of her lips.

"Very well," Carlisle settled the matter gladly. "We'll finish the renovation this weekend."

As sure as sunrise, the Cullens and I worked around our obligations, such as self-defense and Carlisle's work at the hospital and hunting, to give Edward a separate space in the house once more. Granted, most of my work was outside the construction zone as per my infinitely slower human speeds, but I still helped with the small details of the design.

By the time I prepared for bed on Sunday night, Edward had a fully finished bedroom all his own and a rearranged closet entry. Aside from flattening the music alcove, walling off the old closet door was the only work that needed to be completed in my own room. A part of me felt badly for Edward never getting his original room back, but the pianist scoffed and rolled his eyes at the thought when it passed through my head.

Edward still came into the room to put on 'Moonlight Sonata' as he always had, yet he didn't use the door facing the hallway when he left. He teased me endlessly for the secret, one Esme promised I would find amusing. But that same night, as I faced restlessness that wouldn't leave me, Edward finally explained.

"Come on," he sighed humorously, offering a hand to help me out of bed and lead me to the now-smaller alcove. "See that molding?"

Analyzing a chair rail hidden behind the wall-attached stereo system's free-standing speakers, I turned back to Edward with a raised brow.

"Put your hand on that chair rail," Edward commanded playfully, repressing a grin.

Shaking my head at his boyish antics, I did as I was told. The moment I put my fingers on the molding, something began to shift behind the wall itself. Startled, I stepped back out of shock as the wall began to open into Edward's new room on the other side with seamless power. A snort escaped Edward as he steadied me.

"A secret door?" I nearly squealed with excitement, bringing a more genuine barking laugh from my companion.

"Esme thought it was a wonderful way to let us enjoy music together," Edward grinned at last. "Besides, she knows how you like secret panels and such."

"Thank you, Esme!" I really did squeal that time, bringing Esme up to hug me with a laugh in her throat.

While I might have driven Edward a bit crazy opening and closing that secret panel so many times over the next three days, running between mine and Edward's room like a giddy child as I refused sleep in favor of play, the bronze-haired youth couldn't help finding my gleeful squeeing and giggling absolutely hilarious.

On that third night after returning from self-defense, I knew instantly something was up when Edward initiated the very thing that made him laugh at me so frequently.

"I'm not even trying to hide it," Edward sent his eyes heavenward, although he half-smiled as he did so. "I'm keeping you occupied for a few moments. It won't be long and then everything will be revealed."

"I can handle that," I smiled wryly, accepting a temporary time in Edward's room while whatever was going on could be arranged.

I recalled the last time something had occurred that Edward occupied my time until the big reveal. Then it was the unveiling of Esme's completed bottle display in the dining area. Using the display case I had once gifted for Carlisle and Esme's wedding anniversary, the Cullen parents worked in tandem to make a colorful show of bottles before eventually showing me the finished product. Seeing my earlier vision finally burst to life was a wonderful sensation.

Alice didn't wait nearly as long before dancing into Edward's room and tugging me up to my feet in the middle of a Squirrel Nut Zippers sing-along session I hated to leave behind.

"We'll finish it later," Edward offered, following us out the door and down to the main level.

Another shock in the form of a well-contained bonfire in the backyard startled me witless, but as calmly as everyone stood watching it, I knew nothing was wrong. Curious and amused by the random fire, I gave Edward a long-suffering look to which he only smirked.

"I thought it was high time we substantiated your new self," Alice proposed, bringing us out to the fire with graceful steps.

"What does that mean?" I half laughed at the philosophical terminology.

"You've changed a lot since our road trip, Mir," Emmett continued for his sister, gazing at me in quiet admiration.

"You appear to have accepted who you are," Rosalie added understandingly. "I don't know how we could sense that, but it's true."

"And yet in some small way, something seems to be keeping you back still," Jasper completed the theory.

"There are still those little moments of doubt," Edward was the last to elaborate, kindly though he did so. "There are those pockets of resistance that make you question your place here…. Don't think I haven't heard the niggling questions at the back of your mind sometimes."

"So what's the fire for?" I had to ask, eyeing the blaze cautiously even as I failed to acknowledge those niggling questions Edward mentioned. I no longer worried over my parents' faults or the innumerable fears of my old self, but I did find myself wondering those age-old questions I never forgot.

What am I doing here? Why me?

They never left me, it seemed, always cropping up when I least expected and leaving me doubtful in a very small part of my heart.

Grinning far more puckishly, Alice became a blur as she reappeared beside me with familiar clothing.

"That's where the substantiation comes in," she winked.

The old gray coat, black flats, black scarf, and blue jeans still covered in dried mud stains felt as odd as if Alice presented me with a potato sack to wear.

"Alice thought it would be… prudent…" Carlisle hesitated over the words with high humor in his golden eyes, "to eliminate traces of your unhappy past."

"You just want to get rid of those old clothes," I accused the small woman exasperatedly.

"As much as I do want that," Alice confessed completely truthfully, "I honestly believe this will be therapeutic for you."

"Seeing and touching items that connect you to bad memories does have the potential to make you regress," Esme said fairly. "Perhaps Alice has a point, Mir."

"You have been holding onto them rather… purposelessly," Edward reminded me gently. "Maybe you still need to let go of something."

After deciding to fully embrace my new life as Mireille Whitlock, rather than frightened Mireille Holden, I had never entertained the notion that my history was erased or that it had no effect on me. Despite that, I realized a part of me had subconsciously been waiting for the backlash to stepping out on my own, independent of dependency as I had previously known it.

"Today is the anniversary of your first year with us. Maybe it's the chance to look past even these tiny reminders of who you once were," Carlisle spoke, soft voice intruding even as he reached out to pull me comfortably under his arm. Accepting the fatherly gesture with gratitude, I leaned into Carlisle's reassuring presence and considered everyone's words carefully.

My eyes jolted from clothing to fire with a growing sense of anticipation I found quite familiar after all these months of using it where possible. My gift – such a distinct part of my life now, despite only understanding half of it – reached out and nudged me forward to the fire.

Alice smiled knowingly, eyes glazed for but a moment.

Sharing her expectation, I stepped forward and extended a hand to grasp the clothing waiting for my choice.

With one final nudge, I picked up the coat and scarf first, fingering the worn fabrics hardened by many washings in well water. The gray and black garments had kept me warm many times over my years at college. When there was no heat in the dormitory or when I walked to class in the middle of a heavy snow, this one coat and scarf had protected me.

"We have heat in this house," Edward told me, smiling slightly. "And you have many coats and scarves now."

He was right, of course.

With a firm hand, I threw the gray coat onto the fire.

A little cheer went up among the vampires around me and I felt a smile growing on my face while I took up the scarf and threw that in the flames as well. Dirty blue jeans followed the rise of heat, leaving only the black flats with their worn soles and toes.

They had seen a lot of action, particularly in the elements, but one thing stood out as the greatest trial they had ever walked me through. My hand could no more release them than my mind in the tumbling quiet.

"You have many shoes, too," Alice concurred with Edward's earlier remarks.

"It's not that," I denied instantly, exhibiting a sharp shake of my head. "It's just – and I know this sounds silly, but – these shoes carried me here. To this house. To this life… To all of you."

Sparing a moment to share glances with each person around me, recalling the many events and experiences I had lived through with every one of them in the last year, I felt all the more attached to the ragged shoes in my hand.

"I'm not ready to be rid of these just yet," I finally decided fitfully, having reached out several times yet unable to put the black leather to flame. "I'm sorry."

"Your reason isn't a terrible one," Esme warmly reaffirmed my choice, Carlisle nodding along with her. "These are more of a memento than a bad memory now."

"At least those awful clothes are gone," Alice sniffed, clearly trying for a stiff reaction. The tiny vampire had eased up on fashion a surprising amount since reevaluating her life with Jasper, although at times she still found a stern word for some of the stranger things she saw.

Instead of frustration, I felt amusement and fondness. "Thank you, Alice."

Dropping her act in a heartbeat, Alice hugged me firmly and we said no more on the subject of the questions and doubts I had occasionally been unable to stamp out.

At school the following day, I announced the confirmation of a party to Jessica, Angela, and Katie, hoping to settle times and dates with the girls for the Halloween party. Katie and Jessica squealed loudly enough to make me plug my ears, but Angela and I laughed all the same at their enthusiasm and quickly decide on the thirtieth. The one thing I wasn't as certain of was the guest list, despite the girls' suggestion it would be fun with more people. Nonetheless, I agreed to invite others from school barring any objections from Carlisle and Esme.

When I was alone in the locker room the next afternoon at self-defense, changing clothes after a hard day's training, I finally released the trapped mental dissent that threatened to break out so many times during my bonfire discussion with the Cullens.

I may not have felt any more doubts about my past history or faced any more crises about my self-confidence… but that didn't mean I had no doubts left.

No one knew what I had been feeling at those times when I stayed at one of the girls' houses for a sleepover, free of the helpless intrusion of the Cullens' special abilities. No one knew the questions of purpose that I could only allow freedom once I was alone and free of Edward's ever-reaching mental gift.

So I blocked Edward with an ease I had nearly perfected while playing chess with him over the summer. I played cautious with my decision-making around Alice's gift, another action that came easy after the times I had learned to evade the tiny psychic already.

Jasper was far more complicated and complex to avoid on a regular basis, and sometimes I failed to do so, but those failures were few enough so far that the honey-blond vampire had yet to catch up to my deception. Every time I evaded him, I grew in my understanding of how to work around his empathetic gift and each successive attempt at maneuvering around his perceptiveness became more successful than the last.

Trust was no issue, but I knew I could never explain my curious weakness for feeling unneeded in quiet moments. The Cullens were beautiful people who cared deeply about me and I didn't want them to feel responsible for my doubt or to feel I didn't believe in them.

These doubts were my battle to fight through and I had learned the hard way to fight for myself rather than let someone do it for me. There was certainly no reason to trouble the Cullens over my plight; least of all when such an imminent event loomed on the horizon.

Given two days of bleak thoughts blocked from Edward, moody decisions halted before execution in Alice's visions, and dark feelings maneuvered around Jasper, I had slowly returned from my well of doubt and found the metaphorical sun again. The fierce need to hide my silent war had lessened somewhat and I found my joy over the idea of planning a Halloween party rearing up in spades.

Upon dressing Saturday morning, I put on a cheery, seasonably ironic orange blouse with my gray jeans and gray and black herringbone pumps, attending breakfast much more peaceable in my soul than I had been the past few days. The Cullens were none the wiser in the change of character, as I had steadily learned how to present the cheer as my regular face.

A year ago, I would never have been able to be so deceptive or act so well with the vampires I adored.

Tossing the unhappy thought aside, I made my way into town for a party shopping trip. No matter what the occasion, I now made it a habit to shop in Forks before moving to bigger cities. It helped local commerce stay strong and many times I had found something well-suited to my plans at a much lower price anyway.

As I expected, Halloween was a great holiday to shop for in town. Nearly everyone loved dressing up and eating candy, no matter what age they were. While it wasn't one of my favorite holidays, I did enjoy costumes, candy, and parties the same as anyone else. Perhaps more, I admitted to myself ruefully.

With a full shopping basket hanging off my arm, I really should have had a gigantic ache in my shoulder, but training in self-defense with Daniel had built up muscles I never knew I had.

I glanced curiously at the yard signs sticking out the end of my shopping basket, hoping no one ran into them, but judged myself fairly safe in the almost empty store and continued looking at the pumpkin string lights in front of me.

It was just my luck, then, that my intuitive gift cried out a warning at the precise moment someone tumbled straight into the sticks hanging out of the far side of the basket.

There was no time to save whatever I had accumulated in the shopping basket, but I had just enough time to slip my arm out of the handles and away from a potential injury. As I spun away from the impending catastrophe, all I could see was a vague blur of black, white, and blue from the corner of my eye before the inevitable crash that left my items falling in a cluster of clattering clamor.

* * *


	3. Chapter 2: Anxieties

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Notes:**  
I am incredibly excited to see everyone's reaction to this mystery person! Haha, I think everyone's fairly off-kilter about possibilities, so I'm excited to see what everyone thinks after the fact. I really started off with a bang for this story, which is quite fun, but it's also daunting and nerve-wracking because it sets the bar even higher for everything that comes after it. Well, I'm having fun with it regardless! Enjoy!

**Song Inspiration:**  
_Setting Fires_ by The Chainsmokers ft. XYLØ

**Previously** – Mir prepared for Jess' birthday sleepover and recalled spending a year with the Cullens. Mir and girls watched movies. Mir cooked breakfast for the girls. Mir, Jess, Ang, Katie discussed Conner and Mike. Jess still pining for Mike. Jess suggested Mir host Halloween party at Cullen house. Mir  & Edward presented Cullens the idea of Edward having separate room again. The Cullens renovated house to include a new room for Edward and Mir was thrilled by the addition of a secret door. On first anniversary of Mir arriving in Forks, Cullens convinced Mir she was still holding onto her past. Mir burned her old clothes as a symbol of moving forward. Mir secretly recalled withholding doubts of her purpose from Cullens. Mir decided her battle was her own and she would not worry the Cullens over it. Mir shopped for Halloween party décor and someone bumped into her.

> **Chapter 2: Anxieties**

"Aw, man!" a young, masculine voice called out, dispirited and annoyed as everything rattled and crashed to the tiled floor, pieces rolling every which way.

Glancing up at the source of the run-in, I found a slightly gangly teenage boy in blue jeans and a white t-shirt, standing with a hand atop his black hair in utter weariness and eyes closed with vexation.

"Are you okay?" I asked of the russet-skinned teen, repressing an instinctive grin with admirable fortitude.

"I guess… I'm really sorry," the mildly gangling teen told me, coming down from his agitation with definite sheepishness, bending to help pick up the items strewn over the floor the same as I did.

Suspecting the russet-skinned boy was from the reservation, I wondered how many problems could crop up if I wasn't careful with my words. Still, what could really happen if he just helped me pick up my shopping and then went on his way? Nothing, I decided, expecting no more than a few pleasantries to pass between us.

"That's okay," I assured him, shaking my head at the earlier misgiving I had felt. Even with my gift sending me warnings, I figured it would be safer to just follow my first instincts at times. I couldn't exactly afford a bunch of chance run-ins at this point.

"I hit this wild growth spurt the last couple of months," the boy kept talking, ashamedly offering up the reason for stumbling into me. "I keep running into everything and everyone. I even knocked my dad's chair sideways yesterday. I wish I could just get my balance back, you know?"

"I'm pretty sure you can't help that," I finally laughed at his blunt honesty; the kid seemed pretty nice. It was too bad most of the Quileute wolves probably wouldn't be as congenial.

"Maybe, but it's still super embarrassing."

"I suppose it would be," I offered with another shake of my head, laugh mellowing into a wry smile.

"I'm Jacob, by the way. Jacob Black."

In the middle of the whirlwind apology and explanation, my mouth still perched in the shape of a secretively amused smile, I dropped whatever I had picked up with an obnoxious clatter. With cautious, disbelieving eyes, I turned back up to look at the vaguely ungainly teen I so easily dismissed as just another boy.

Silky black hair hung down Jacob Black's rather scrawny back as smoothly and fluidly as water poured from a fountain. As Bella had noted in _New Moon_ , the mass of ebony – and its owner – was oddly beautiful in an aesthetic manner, even with his obvious youth. Jacob would certainly grow to be nice-looking and muscled… and furry… and sharp-toothed… and terrifyingly huge…

Still quite clueless as to my tension over the unexpected meeting, Jacob stuck out a lean hand in greeting.

"Um… Mireille," I managed uneasily, shaking myself visibly and masking my immense discomfiture by accepting the proffered hand over my spilled basket of decorations. "Mireille Whitlock."

"Meer … _ray_?" Jacob sounded it out based on my example, not doing too badly compared to most. At least I didn't have to dumb down the vowels for him. "That's different. I mean it sounds pretty, but it's definitely not one of those everyday names."

I just hummed noncommittally, still coming down from the shock.

"How do you spell it?" Jacob wondered suddenly, nose wrinkled in confusion.

"M – I – R – E – I – L – L – E," I responded with a chuckle and a sigh in quick succession. This boy was so different, even from the first _Twilight_ book; he was sweet and chatty and generally a bubbly teenager who was just making friends and stumbling over his own pubescent lack of balance. "It's a French name."

"Where did your parents find it?" the future shape-shifter inquired, clearly not afraid to ask the odd questions.

"Oh, it was a poem by Frédéric Mistral that my mother liked," I relayed the almost forgotten tale of how I received my rare moniker. "I guess my father read part of a translation to her when he proposed. _Miréio_ was the title in Occitan, but the main character's name is Mireille in translation. There's an opera intepretation, too, written by... Charles Gounod, I believe."

"Huh, that's kind of cool," Jacob shrugged. "Not big on poetry or opera, but it's a pretty cool way to get a name. Must have been rough with the other kids, though."

"Yes, I had some issues with that growing up," I laughed a little. "That was why I asked my mother where it came from. Not that it stopped anyone making fun of me… I like it now, though. 'Unusual' is pretty much a code word for my life these days."

Jacob laughed as well, a pleasant sound full of easy youth, and added wryly, "Yeah, I get that. The rez has some weird stuff going around. Always has. Not that your name is weird, of course."

"What kind of weird stuff?" I asked with excellently played nonchalance, allaying seemingly all of my attention to organizing the items in my basket as the teen handed them over.

"Oh, these nutty legends and stuff," Jacob waved off with a broad roll of his eyes. "My dad's super crazy about them. Loves to tell me they're real and there are 'monsters' living around the corner."

"Like my family?" I remarked boldly, some coolness entering my tone now that I knew Billy and his cohorts had already tried to poison everyone with talk of 'monsters' ready to hurt everyone.

Freezing with a hand outstretched towards the furthest yard sign, Jacob slowly turned and stared at me for a long moment, visibly putting some pieces together in a mental puzzle.

"Oh… Oh wow…" he stuttered uncomfortably, fidgeting in place.

"Carlisle is my guardian," I offered up for some reason beyond my control, forcing back the chill in my tone. Jacob hadn't done anything wrong, after all. "A few months after losing my father, he and Esme took me in."

Given another awkward moment, Jacob went on, "I'm really sorry. About your dad and about the stories. I didn't know. Dad always talks about the Cullens. I've never heard him talk about a Whitlock before."

"I moved here a year ago," I explained. "Maybe your father's so blinded by his legends that he thinks 'Cullen' is my name as a matter of course."

"Maybe," Jacob allowed quietly, finally grasping the last yard sign and returning it to me.

"Thank you," I spoke more confidently, rising from my knees with the full basket in hand. As I turned to Jacob one more time, I suddenly wondered what he was even doing in town. "Why are you here, Jacob? I didn't think you guys came into town much since my family moved here."

"My dad's visiting a friend," Jacob explained haltingly. "Charlie – Charlie Swan, I mean, the chief—"

"Chief of police, yes, I know Charlie very well," I interrupted a little impatiently.

"Well, he only had Rainier in the fridge," Jacob completed his answer more quickly. "They sent me to get soda for myself."

"I imagine that was an excellent excuse," I found myself spewing sharply. I didn't quite understand my need to tell Jacob such blunt information, but the feeling couldn't be denied.

Frowning deeply, Jacob clarified, "What do you mean 'excuse'?"

"Don't you find it unusual that Charlie didn't already have some soda in the fridge? I know he's probably not exactly at the top of his game with grocery shopping, but surely he knew you two were coming over?"

"Well, yeah, he did," Jacob realized, frowning heavier than before. "You think they're arguing about this legend crap again?"

"It seems logical," I concluded with a tilt of my head. "Especially after how close Charlie has been with my family the past year. He was there after I was attacked in November and I have the feeling those legends predispose your father to the belief my family was behind that attack, although clearly Vanessa Travis and Greg Overman were to blame."

" _You_ were attacked?" Jacob floundered in surprise. "Why?"

"Vanessa Travis grew up unloved and she was jealous of the way my family loves me," I shrugged casually. Several months down the road, it was easy to talk about all that had transpired. "So she pulled her boyfriend into a random attack one night when she realized I was all alone at the gas station. I almost died that night and Carlisle saved my life. He spent every day and night by my side in the hospital and he's been there for me ever since. So I hope you can understand why your father's accusations make me so angry."

"I get that," Jacob agreed, lifting hands in submission. "Man… so my dad's probably trying to get Charlie to stop talking to your family?"

"I don't know what's in his head, but that seems like something he would want," I decided as simply as possible.

"That's wrong," Jacob decided more strongly than I expected, eyes narrowing minimally. "Charlie's a tough guy. He can choose for himself. Why does Dad always have to cut in on everything?"

I had no answers to such a query, letting Jacob draw his own conclusions while we made our way up front. The teen seemed to have forgotten his soda entirely, for which I could hardly fault him.

"Do you come by here often?" Jacob asked abruptly, startling me from contemplation before I could reach the register.

"Not often, exactly," I responded confusedly. "Mostly when I have a party to decorate for…."

"You're throwing a Halloween party, then, I guess?" Jacob assumed based on my basket of décor as he looked into the mess we'd cleaned up together.

"On the thirtieth, yes…" I agreed slowly, drawing out the last word in utmost suspicion. "Why?"

"I was just curious," Jacob shrugged, but the gangly teen lied _very_ badly.

"Really, Jacob?" I remarked disbelievingly, stopping right in front of the boy and putting a hand on my hip eerily similar to Esme whenever she scolded her sons' wild antics.

"I thought I could challenge the status quo," Jacob grinned suddenly, bright as the sun and awkward but ready to fight from what I could tell. "You know, by coming to your Halloween party on the thirtieth."

"Don't you dare!" I snapped at him, mentally slapping myself for giving him the date so carelessly. "Your father would probably have a heart attack!"

"He would not," Jacob rolled eyes to the ceiling, taking my basket for me and setting it up on the counter for the cashier to ring up. "Come on, it'll be a rebellion, right? Somebody has to fight the establishment!"

Dumbfounded by his incorrigible and indomitable nature, I couldn't even respond before Jacob Black practically skipped out of the store and disappeared down the street with his hands thrust into his jean pockets.

When I returned to the house and explained what happened to the Cullens, Rosalie practically spit fire. The blonde looked truly angry with me for the first time in ages.

"You couldn't keep it to yourself?" she snapped upon learning I had accidentally given up the date of the party.

Taken aback by her intense glare, I looked down at my feet in shame. "I'm sorry."

Had I known what Jacob would do with the information, I would never have offered it up. Still, I shouldn't have given any more information than necessary.

"Don't judge yourself too harshly," Edward sighed wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He didn't give you much of a clue."

"This is Mireille we're talking about," Jasper intervened reasonably. "She doesn't just hand out information to the first person to come along. You know that as well as any of us, Rosalie."

Breathing sharply, Rosalie failed to respond, arms crossed and face still remarkably sour.

"The only thing we can do is stay aware," Carlisle exhaled tiredly. "From what we know of Jacob Black, it doesn't seem he'll listen to any kind of reason."

I hated that we had so little in the way of security, but none of the Cullens could think of a plan that might help waylay suspicion or outright accusation on the part of the Quileutes.

Throughout Homecoming Week, I worried relentlessly over the situation whenever we were at the Cullen house. Rosalie remained frustratedly chill and sour about my unintentional reveal, her new distance hurting more than I realized, especially after how she had teased and encouraged me in the preceding days.

Distractedness at school did happen to take off some of the heat during the crazy days we'd planned on Homecoming Committee, much to my relief.

I had never participated so much in the events of a school homecoming, leading me to examine wild ideas for spirit week compared to previous years the school had faced. Circus on Monday, Luau on Tuesday, Pirates on Wednesday, Superheroes on Thursday, and Class Spirit on Friday somehow held my attention long enough to withhold a full panic over the possibilities of a confrontation with the Quileute pack or the possibility that Rosalie and I were back at square one – or perhaps less.

It helped when crazy things took place at the school to keep my focus, such as Eric Yorkie dressing in very creepy clown makeup that made Katie 'eek' her way through lunch on Monday. While she wasn't actually afraid, she seemed mightily amused by Eric's ridiculous cosmetics application.

Even worse, Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley had worn grass skirts and coconut bras over their clothes on Tuesday to ask three different girls to Homecoming. Between Lauren, Jessica, and myself, I wasn't quite sure who was more humiliated to even know the obnoxious boys, let alone be the object of their last-minute requests.

By my cautious estimate, however, I fully believed Lauren was the most humiliated, which honestly suited me just fine. The corn silk blonde could do with a little bit of down-pegging after the rotten things she had said to me and to Jessica around the time of Girls' Choice Dance the previous spring.

Considering the discussion of Mike and Conner at our sleepovers for the past few months, I found it oddly awkward that Jessica recovered so rapidly from the embarrassment of Mike and Tyler's stupidity. Mainly because she had recovered not by simply overcoming, but by reuniting with Conner to wear pirate outfits together on Wednesday. Mike looked steaming mad when he noticed the two talking congenially at lunch. Along with Edward, I was forced to restrain a loud laugh that bubbled up in my throat. Heaven only knew what Edward had heard in the blond-haired boy's head. Partly I worried if Jessica did it on purpose, but seeing her shock over Mike's angry expression put that worry to rest.

As for myself, I barely survived Emmett's suggestive humor mixed with Alice's blatant teasing. Jasper took a more serious view, recalling all too easily how the boys had ignored my direct 'no' last Valentine's Day. The Texan vampire considered intervening on my behalf, but it became rapidly apparent that Edward required Jasper's ability far more strongly in order to avoid snarling aloud at the two boys' oppressive behavior and thoughts. Thus the idea of an intervention dissipated into the ether.

By the time Superhero Thursday came around, Emmett's delight could hardly be contained. The big vampire's enthusiasm quickly led me to find out precisely why Jasper had once described his burly brother as 'tricky' when it came to superheroes.

Emmett Cullen had the _oddest_ idea of what superheroes should wear and walk like, as well as how their speech should sound. Giggling fits had overcome me more than once when Emmett went 'full super' as Alice termed it. In spite of Rosalie's continuing agitation, Emmett remained undaunted and had fun with me just the same as before.

At last, on Friday, I joined in the merriment of wearing Forks High's blue and yellow school colors in everything from my hat to my shoes. A blue and yellow beanie seemed even more blinding when paired with blue loafers and a blue jacket. The only piece of clothing not matching the school theme was my gray Junior Class t-shirt with a fire-breathing dragon on the front. 'Camelot' as a Homecoming theme lent many possibilities for the floats and mottos, but our Junior Class dubbed itself as 'bringing the heat' in the class competition.

The gym was full of noise and laughter when I walked in with Jessica, Angela, Katie, Conner, Lee, Ben, Austin, and of course the Cullens at my side. Edward and Jasper acquiesced to wearing the class t-shirt upon mine and Alice's prodding and pleading, but Rosalie refused point blank, even to Emmett's puppy dog eyes.

Of all the events Homecoming produced, the dance was now my favorite considering my freedom from aggressive bullying, but the parade took a close second. While most of the dance committee rode on our castle and dragon float trailer, I moved to one of the open cars with a sophomore boy and a freshman girl I had only met a week earlier.

The tiny, eight-member choir at Forks High was currently down a sick soprano and alto, and an injured tenor. Thus it was left to open audition judged by the choir teacher, Mrs. Holt, to temporarily fill the three positions during the singing of the national anthem. While we were encouraged to join the choir anyway, I had far too much going on in my life to sign up for a seventh hour choir class. Regretfully I turned down the invitation, along with the sophomore boy who played basketball and acted as secretary for the science club.

Singing with the perfectly-tuned Cullen family had practically eliminated my anxieties about public performance, so standing on the field to sing those familiar words only encouraged a small batch of nerves to populate my brain. The students, parents, staff, and visitors welcomed us with applause as we sang our country's anthem and sent us off the same way once we had finished the first and most famous verse of _The Star-Spangled Banner_.

Football leveled out as a rather dull and uninteresting game for the average viewer this time around and my friends and I spent more time talking than watching before the night ended.

Saturday dawned bright and early, the sun catching me already dressed and eating breakfast so I could rush off to self-defense with Jasper and then return for prep with Alice and Esme in the afternoon.

In light of immense progress on my part over the last few months, Daniel had seen fit to ease in mini lessons using the gifts Charlie had given for my birthday. Slow though the process moved, it was naturally a complex subject to learn and I was only too pleased to gain a thorough understanding of the self-defense tools in my arsenal before actively using them in the community should the need ever arise.

Worn but satisfied by the day's work, I gladly changed into my street clothes and let Jasper turn on a classical station that I usually wound down with on the car ride home.

Already dressed in her red chiffon and black lace gown, Alice of course waited on tenterhooks, ready with nail polish in hand and hair tools laid across the counter. Considering Rosalie had done my hair the last time there was a school dance, I couldn't reserve my frown for the expected absence. Waiting for my white-painted nails to dry gave too much time to think on that subject, although Alice tried her best to distract me. Yet by the time I slipped on the canary yellow embroidered dress I had picked out, the issue never really left my thoughts.

Startled didn't begin to cover it when I turned from slipping into my white open-toe heels to find Rosalie standing in the doorway, dressed in her sleeveless, low-cut cerulean gown and strappy black lace heels revealed by the high slit in her skirt. Styling tools waited in elegant, black-nailed hands.

"I thought it would be a shame," the blonde vampire quietly spoke, "to let your hair be styled by anyone less attuned to its unique properties."

Uncertain what my response should be to the uncomfortable pronouncement, I nodded hesitantly and let Rosalie begin pulling curls around the crown of my head in the style Alice and I had planned out.

"I… may have been harsh," Rosalie dared to speak again in the middle of her work. After a pause, she concluded, "I know you wouldn't purposefully give away information about us. Where it concerns the pack, however, I feel very unsteady on my feet. They always seem so… unpredictable. Please don't think I hate you for it."

"Thank you," I replied quietly. It was the closest to an apology Rosalie Hale would truly offer to anyone under such circumstances, so I took what I was given with appreciation for the minute admittance and let it go along with my discomfiture.

Contrary to the first Homecoming dance I had attended, entering the high school under a broad umbrella of suspicion and doubt, this year I walked up to the ticket table to welcoming expressions on the faces of that year's volunteers.

"Hi, Mr. Fletcher, Mrs. Nathan," I greeted the two teachers.

"Hi, Ray," Mrs. Nathan smiled. Jasper and Emmett's physics teacher had quickly caught on to the name passed around my human peers.

"Miss Whitlock," Mr. Fletcher met me more formally, but nonetheless congenially as he accepted my ticket and crossed me off the list of attendees. "I hope you and Rosalie are working hard on your class project?"

"We've already started researching our topic," I spoke for us both in reply to the pseudo-question Mr. Fletcher had probably asked every one of his students who passed the table. The man was a stickler in that way. Amusing myself with the thought of what bored responses he had probably heard so far, I stepped back to let Edward and the others come forward as well.

"Glad to hear it," Mr. Fletcher smiled, obviously pleased with mine and Rosalie's progress in the first week of our final semester project.

The Cullens and the group of human friends I had accumulated over the last year all scuffled around the edges of each other in line while we slowly entered the dance. Angela in indigo and silver, Jessica in eggplant and black, Katie in glittery champagne, Whitney in burgundy and black, and Conner, Lee, Austin, and Ben in plain black suits all attended as a group rather than with official dates. Whenever we all congregated together somewhere, even at lunchtime, it became a little awkward sometimes between the once again split-up Jessica and Conner, so Katie and Angela had suggested changing it up a little bit for fun at this year's Homecoming.

Angela and Katie's thoughtfulness had made me smile, but Mike and Tyler's self-invited presences to the group definitely did not. Nor did nosy Lauren in her emerald green dress, or Samantha in her fashion-questionable white and teal dress. Luckily for me, the Cullen brothers monopolized all my dances with unbending intent, leaving little time for shenanigans with any of the four intruders.

Unfortunately I noticed Jessica giving Mike looks of interest once again, but I had the feeling it was one of those inevitable dates she would have to experience in order to truly give up on. Based on Mike's lack of response, it would still be a while before that happened; the blond-haired boy had yet to get over the twin pirate ordeal.

Sighing even as Edward snorted over my mental commentary, I decided to stop pushing Jessica away from Mike and simply let her to make her own choices. If they were the wrong choices, I would just have to be a supportive friend to her when (or _if_ , I should say) things went south between them.

"You give Newton far too much credit," Edward muttered half under his breath during one of our dances, making me laugh delightedly.

"I guess you're right," I allowed pleasantly, "but it's not my choice. I have to accept that and let her do what she wills."

"At least that I can understand, no matter how difficult it can be," Edward commented with pursed lips, and I knew exactly what he referred to.

"You know it's an informed decision," I reminded him gently.

"I know," he sighed. "Truly, I do."

"At least there's that," I sighed also and let the conversation drift away from distasteful conflicts of opinion for the time being. At some point there would be more discussion of the ultimatum regarding vampire life, particularly once Bella began considering it, but for the moment I wanted to enjoy what peace we had.

"I can agree to that," Edward concurred with my thoughts, smirking slightly as he spun me out and then right back into his easy grip.

Hours and hours of fear and worry began to pass by with increasing frequency and strength the day after Homecoming; hours of fearing what would happen if Jacob did gatecrash my soon-to-come Halloween party, countered only by hours of Edward stopping my panic with a single look of understanding vexation.

After a second debate on how to handle the circumstances, the Cullens were initially just as concerned as I was about the possibility of Jacob appearing at my Halloween party. Yet Carlisle became convinced calling Charlie would alleviate most of our problems. Apparently Carlisle believed Charlie would understand Billy's likely reaction and no matter how he personally felt, the chief would warn his friend ahead of time what Jacob intended, leading to a very stunted fourteen-year-old adventure. Everyone had calmed when Carlisle explained his idea, but between Edward and I, there was a world of doubt we didn't share aloud.

What if Jacob decided to come anyway?

I highly doubted Billy would be able to physically prevent Jacob from attending – not without a multitude of troubles cropping up.

"Stop it," Edward murmured, sighing tiredly and throwing down the pencil in his hand.

While the seventeen-year-old had a desk of his own in his new room, he tended to spend his work time in my office area whenever I completed my homework. Perhaps he found it pointless to work alone when he heard my thoughts anyway, but whatever the case, he was present when my thoughts wandered to Jacob and the upcoming party.

By some unspoken consensus – prompted by Edward, no doubt – Alice and Esme roped me into helping make some of our Halloween costumes rather than focus so heavily on what-ifs.

Emmett, Edward, Jasper, and Esme's costumes were all heavily under wraps, left totally in Alice's care. However, in the efforts of preventing me from a descent into full-blown panic over the Quileutes, I was allowed – while helping Esme – to know what Carlisle, Rosalie, and Alice would wear. Carlisle's costume was Sherlock Holmes, complete with deerstalker, pipe, caped jacket, and magnifying glass all over a gray, Victorian-era suit.

Alice had gone with her name and a vague reference to her lost and confused vampire origins, costuming as Alice In Wonderland this time. Her costume was a lovely blue dress with white collar, white lace apron, and lots of white crinoline underneath. On top of that, a pair of black Mary Jane pumps, oversized black hair bow, and white tights completed the lost little girl appearance excellently. Aside from transitioning to heels, the only other change Alice made was to keep her natural hair and put it in pin curls to add a dash of cuteness for the blunt style.

Rosalie's costume was almost as last minute as mine was proving to be. The blonde had blatantly refused to wear any _Star Wars_ costumes. That was the only clue I had as to what Emmett would dress like, but it certainly didn't narrow it down much. There were plenty of memorable outfits to copy from all five films that had so far been released. Nonetheless, that left Rosalie costume-less up until two days earlier. Even Esme had given up on ideas for her daughter.

Combining every piece of information I knew about Rosalie Hale, I had tried to imagine what she might accept as a costume. Eventually I decided that – at utmost maximum – Rosalie would want a costume that was showy, well-fitted, potentially short or low-cut or both, worn with high heels, containing a highly-visible shade of red, and showcasing her glorious hair.

The options were indeed limited based on high school age decency and personal tastes, but in looking to superheroes, I found the perfect solution.

At first, when I thought of Supergirl, the young DC heroine had seemed totally unconventional and quite childish for the beautiful, statuesque vampire I knew. Yet 'unconventional' fit Rosalie Hale to a tee, not to mention the costume I'd shown her was tight-fitting and short, with lots of bright red, tall-heeled knee-high boots, a gold belt, and loose flowing locks. Rosalie had taken several hours to warm up to the idea, but in the end being called 'super' in any way really had its perks for a woman who appreciated herself as much as Rosalie did.

Unlike the previous Halloween, this year I had to be sure what costumes everyone in my peer group would wear. Between Katie and Jessica, I only needed two phone calls to figure out what not to wear in order to avoid a so-called disaster with most of the other girls from our peer group.

My three nearest human friends already had their costumes bought – Jessica as a witch, Katie as The Cat In The Hat thanks to our movie options during the sleepover, and Angela funnily enough as Olive Oyl. I loved Angela's costume idea and enjoyed our formerly unrealized mutual love of _Popeye_ even more.

From what Jessica had heard, Lauren was going to go as one of the pink ladies, the corn silk blonde bragging in town about her custom-made costume whenever she had the chance. Considering it was just a pink jacket and black pants, I wasn't sure why she would brag about it. Samantha, less boldly proclaimed, planned to dress in eighties workout clothes, a fact which made me wince internally even as I watched Alice shudder disgustedly across the room. The eighties clothes might be amazing in the right colors, styles, and quantities, but Samantha was already half-derelict in the fashion department – adding in such a convoluted style didn't bode well for our eyes, even if it was for Halloween.

As for the boys, I found myself chuckling at the costumes Jessica had told me for Mike and Tyler; the former intended to dress as The Terminator and the latter as Michael Jackson, although which outfit had yet to be determined. Katie had described Lee and Conner as a fireman and a race car driver, respectively. There was yet Ben, Austin, Eric, and Whitney whose costumes I didn't know, but I considered none of them were all that worrisome as far as duplicate outfits.

By the time the twenty-eighth rolled around, I still hadn't decided on a costume for myself, overwhelmed by the many options and the meanings behind them – whether intended or unintended. And if Jacob truly did crash the party, I didn't want the wrong message conveyed inadvertently to the pack through anything he described, no matter how unintentional his words might end up being.

The kids from school wanted to go out trick-or-treating in town just for fun, so I had to have a costume for Forks' scheduled trick-or-treat night on the twenty-ninth, regardless of anything else.

Unsurprisingly, it was the morning of the twenty-ninth before I finally stopped and gave credence to some commonplace outfit I could make from the wardrobe I already had. Given the fairly short time frame, I eyed my closet with panicky intent until something caught my gaze like a light bulb flickering on in the dark.

Alice nearly threw a fit when I had first tried to wear the cowboy boots and hat which Jasper gifted me during our brief stay in Houston. Seeing as it was Halloween, I risked her wrath on the subject and put together the beige boots and hat with blue jeans and a coral button-up printed all over with tiny flowers. With the boots and hat, it already looked pretty obvious what my costume was, but I wanted just a little extra touch. Thus my drive into town to pick up more candy for my Halloween party the following day became dual purpose.

The grocery store's candy was sold out so close to Halloween and the tiny clothing selection in town was useless for my needs, leaving me frustrated and a little shorter on time before I met up with my human friends for trick-or-treating that night at six o'clock.

Standing by the Acura outside in the parking lot, Edward startled the daylights out of me in my distracted state. Still recovering from his sudden appearance with a hand clasped to my chest, I took a deep breath to try and ease up. Rolling golden eyes to the heavens with knowing expectation, Edward simply nodded for me to get in the passenger seat.

Edward's driving skills got me to Olympia in record time, as always, and I had exactly what I wanted for both costume and party in just as rapid a time frame. A cream and beige belt with oversized silver buckle and a beige paisley neckerchief were perfect additions – plus the candy selection had improved by a mile.

"Thank you," I grinned nervously at the bronze-haired vampire on the ride home. "I wasn't at my best in Forks today."

"You're panicking too much about Jacob Black," was his shocking response. Catching my wide, incredulous eyes, Edward chuckled a little awkwardly. "All right, perhaps a bit of anxiety would be perfectly natural in this circumstance…. However, you have to focus on the bigger picture. One outfit for Halloween won't make the pack suddenly dive after us with claws and teeth bared. You've spent so much time worrying about every tiny move at the party tomorrow that you've stopped enjoying what you're doing. That's just giving the pack more power over us and especially you. It's not right."

"I know," I admitted, releasing more an explosive exhale than a true sigh. "What else can I do though?"

"You don't have to _do_ anything," Edward sighed frustratedly.

"That's just it!" I exclaimed more irritably. "I hate standing idly by. I hate not being able to actively change or prevent or at least _help_ a situation that's so important to everyone's future!"

"But you can't," Edward argued firmly. "There's nothing you are capable of right now that will fix the pack's persecution of us. It will take time, integration, and probably Bella and Charlie Swan's active support and intervention. Those aren't things we're afforded at this time…. What we need from you right now isn't your amazing talent of reaching people, Mireille. Not just yet, at least. No, what we need from you is open eyes and ears, a clear head, and your astute observations and intuitions. You can hardly utilize those parts of yourself when you have such a heavy focus on panic and unnecessary details. If Jacob wants to come to the party, he'll come to the party. Carlisle has talked to Charlie about Jacob's intentions and that's as far as we can intervene without actively pursuing the pack. Please, just have fun with friends and enjoy both this party and the holiday in general. That's part of what being human is all about, isn't it?"

"It's part of what being a _person_ is all about," I countered more strongly than I realized I was capable of in that moment, drawing Edward's startled eyes over to mine for a brief second. Of course it would be Edward's lack of faith in himself that jumpstarted my confidence all over again.

"Being human," I went on with equal strength, "makes no difference to living each day with hope in your heart and soul…. No, please don't start on this subject now."

Having been thoroughly interrupted, Edward closed his mouth and withheld whatever comments had rattled through his head in response to my words.

"All right," he nodded fairly enough, taking a breath. "I suppose now isn't the time for such a debate."

"Not particularly," I agreed, delicate and firm all at the same time.

In the barely perceptible tension left behind, I decided to break the ice with a broadly acceptable and normal topic.

"I guess Alice couldn't bear the thought of helping me dress like a cowgirl?" I assumed with pursed lips.

Emitting a small bark of laughter, Edward nodded and smirked. "Right you are. When she saw the vision, she scowled fiercely enough to make Emmett nervous and then proceeded to refuse helping you with such a – and I quote – 'dastardly' choice of costume. So I came to your rescue instead."

"My hero," I teased with a scrunched nose, laughing with Edward over the ridiculous application as we drove through Forks at last.

Just as I readied myself to go meet with the other students to the start the evening, I realized my neckerchief had somehow been torn. Esme's workroom had become sewing central over the past few weeks, so that was my instinctive destination for help. Alice eyed me like a hawk, but generally let my intrusion go even as I ignored her in favor of letting Esme figure out a discreet repair job on the neckerchief so I could be on time. Unexpectedly, I was treated to a sight I realized I wasn't technically supposed to see just yet.

No wonder Alice had eyed me so strongly; Edward and Emmett's delightful costumes were on full display while the two brothers stood for final fittings. Well, Emmett's costume wasn't so much delightful as it was terrifying on his huge, domineering frame.

"The force is strong with this one," Emmett faked his best impersonation to match his imposingly accurate Darth Vader costume, although his grin and mask-less face didn't quite match up to the fright of the infamous Sith lord. All the same, the entire getup had me taking two cautious steps back.

"Please don't startle me in that thing," I insisted awkwardly of the big vampire, feeling foolish yet unable to squelch the sensation of uncertainty. "I'm already on edge. I don't need any sudden scares right now."

Growing infinitely more serious, Emmett allowed his grin to fall away and a pensive frown to replace it. "You got it, Mir. I swear, no jumping out at you."

"I'll be making sure of that, anyway," Esme firmly insisted, eyeing me concernedly even as she worked on my neckerchief. "Are you all right, honey?"

"Wired and worried," I responded promptly, leading Edward to snort subtly, drawing my attention anew to his surprising and yet unsurprising choice of costume while Alice finished the last few corrective stitches on his red vest at a remarkably human pace.

"I suppose this boils down to that choice of evils you once mentioned," Edward remarked sardonically, echoing my statement a year ago upon his suggestion of a movie night regardless of Bella's future with him.

"You're much too tall for Michael J. Fox," I joked with the lean vampire rather than reply to his partial accusation, bringing an unexpectedly loud laugh from the seventeen-year-old.

"Otherwise, though, he does fit the part of Marty McFly extremely well," Esme smiled teasingly at her fast-paced son.

"Yes, that's true," I agreed, a half smile lighting my face.

"Here you are, Mir," Esme offered, holding up the repaired neckerchief at last.

"Thanks, Esme," I told the motherly vampire with a gusty sigh of relief as she showed me the unseen stitching on the beige, paisley-printed fabric and helped me tie the fabric around my neck in a loose hold.

"Why doesn't Edward go with you?" Alice suggested thoughtfully, eyeing her brother's costume contemplatively. "The costume is all finished now."

"I might feel a little less nervous with one of you nearby," I confessed, biting a lip.

"Fine with me," Edward agreed, shrugging comfortably. "As long as our peers don't decide to get adventurous and head into Quileute territory, it should be all right."

"Take one of those black metal pails Mir bought for the party," Esme suggested. "Tonight is all about getting candy, after all."

"I'll try not to indulge my sweet tooth," Edward replied, winking at his mother. A groan went up between Emmett and Alice at their brother's remark.

Genuinely laughing at the joke, Esme playfully pushed us to the door. "Hurry and get to the diner. And have fun!"

"We will!" I called, letting Edward rush us downstairs, into the dining room to grab a black pail as Esme suggested, and then out to the car all in one impossible blur.

Katie and Jessica's description of everyone's costumes was spot on, something I quickly recognized when we all met up at the diner in town.

The Cat In The Hat was easy to pull off with a one-piece pajama suit that included the red-striped hat attached to a hood. All Katie added were white canvas shoes and white gloves to mimic the paws. Jessica's witch outfit consisted of a green sparkling skirt and girly black blouse along with black gloves, belt, hat, and lace-up boots. Adding in a witchlike broom really brought out the theme. Angela, of the three, had the funniest outfit in my opinion – a red blouse with a white collar, black skirt with a yellow band at the bottom, white socks, and really unusual tan leather boots matched Olive Oyl's standard clothing just right.

Lauren's high ponytail, pink zip jacket, black tee, pink neck scarf, black pleather pants, and black heels were all just as basic as I had expected, making me wonder for the second time why she felt it worthy of gloating. Samantha, on the other hand, actually did fairly well with her costume. As an eighties workout girl, she actually looked pretty solid in the aqua, pink, black, and white creation. Perhaps it was her wild fashion ideas that made it work in the end, but the big sandy-haired perm, white high-top tennis shoes, pink leg warmers, and multi-layer outfit all fit together much better than anything else Samantha ever wore.

Mike had definitely chosen to dress like Arnold Schwarzenegger in _The Terminator_ , all geared up in black – leather jacket, leather gloves, laser-eye sunglasses, t-shirt and pants, and heavy strapped-up boots. Without his spiky gelled hair and plastic gun, though, he would have just looked like a biker. Tyler had gone full vivid red to imitate Michael Jackson's persona in _Thriller_ , also including a curly-haired wig, white socks, and black tie shoes.

Lee looked like your everyday firemen in the black, yellow, and silver outfit with a fake fire extinguisher in hand. Conner's black jumpsuit with black and white checkered pattern along the shoulders and sides matched whatever idea I had of a race car driver's standard clothing.

Those I had not known about were the best ones yet, in my humble opinion.

Unmistakable as Lucille Ball in _I Love Lucy_ , Whitney had thrown on a bright red wig to go with her black and white polka-dotted dress, white forties-style pumps, pearl earrings, and white and red apron. Austin portrayed the Riddler to perfection in a question-mark patterned green suit with purple gloves, tie, and mask to match his green and purple bowler hat and gold question mark cane. Ben looked hilariously on point as Waldo from the search-and-find puzzle books I had loved as a kid; his red and white striped shirt and pom hat hit precisely the right note when paired with blue jeans, brown work boots, and Ben's already-black glasses. Even Eric in his black, white, and red mime outfit and halfway-decent impersonation was fascinating to see.

"Howdy!" Tyler grinned at me for my Western outfit, annoyingly loud with his terrible cowboy imitation.

Low growling in Edward's chest forced me to subtly turn his way with a glare that clearly said _knock it off_.

The sounds diminished, though Edward's narrowed eyes failed to follow the same pattern. Satisfied as much as I could be for the time being, I turned back to the group without letting them know I'd been looking away in the first place.

"Are we ready?" Katie took charge, ignoring Tyler's nuisance of a cocky attitude with admirable determination.

"Let's get some goodies!" Austin exclaimed, smacking his purple-gloved hands together with playful enthusiasm that made us all laugh as we set out to the nearest stores in town.

* * *


	4. Chapter 3: Awkward

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Notes:  
** A note to everyone - There is FAR-Jacob and there is TWI-Jacob. Jacob of my story is not the same Jacob you met in the _Twilight_ series. He's not developing in exactly the same way.

On another note, Mir's gift is part insight/intuition and part 'affectation'. That is to say her gift influences others somehow. We haven't delved into the specifics yet, but it's coming in this installment. And also, Jacob's changing body is not due to wolfy growth, but merely a teenage growth spurt. Yeah, I don't really want to see a wolfy Jacob so young. He'd be a big kiddie bear. ;D

Lots of big stuff here, so be prepaaaared! (Yes, that was a terrible _Lion King_ reference. No, I don't care. :D)

**Song Inspiration:**  
_Skeletons In The Closet_ by Alice Cooper

**Previously** – Mir shopped Halloween décor and met Jacob Black for the first time. Jacob was friendly despite being a gawky teen. Mir explained origin of her name. Jacob brought up legends and Mir revealed she was part of Cullen family. Jacob realized Billy was trying to stop Charlie talking to Cullens. Jacob decided to crash Mir's Halloween party in rebellion. Rose was upset Mir revealed party date. Mir worried over Jacob but Homecoming Week distracted her. Mike  & Tyler acted stupid and Mike upset over Conner/Jess. Mir sang National Anthem with school choir. Mir enjoyed school parade and dance with friends/'family'. Mir couldn't pick costume/worried of message sent to Quileutes. Mir finally chose a cowgirl costume and Edward joined her as Marty McFly for trick-or-treating with classmates.

> **Chapter 3: Awkward**

If Edward's growling back at the diner in town hadn't been noticed, I felt certain his intense glaring all along the residential section of our trick-or-treat path definitely would be.

Yet somehow, despite Edward's viciously darkened vampire eyes trained so heavily on Tyler Crowley, the arrogant teen kept acting like a complete fool and flirting with almost every girl in our circle. With Edward and me offering angry eyes to Tyler, he had only partially stopped bothering me.

Katie glared at him so fiercely after the first comment that Tyler backed off her a little as well – if _only_ a little. Between protective Conner and possessive Mike, Tyler seemed to take it as a challenge to flirt with a very agitated Jessica. Lauren and Samantha both acted beyond flattered and enacted the most irritating false giggles every so often, something that only encouraged Tyler's stupidity.

Angela stayed well behind Edward's slightly taller frame at the back of the group, luckily squeaking by without the nuisance of a Casanova investing in her presence. Whitney, walking beside me with a slightly nervous expression, wasn't as lucky as Angela, but again the infuriated looks on mine and Edward's faces seemed to (mostly) do the trick. Austin, Ben, and Lee tried to stand in the middle somewhere and create distance or at least a barrier between our preferred group and the unwanted frustrations that were Mike, Tyler, Lauren, and Samantha. While commendable, their efforts were rather unsuccessful over the course of our night.

As if events hadn't turned complicated and frustrating enough, it was on the outer edges of town that we all ran into a very startling group of people.

Groaning quietly, Edward and I mutually turned half away as Jacob Black led a small and indecently happy, chatty group of teens right past us, dressed as pirates out of everyday clothing and carrying pillowcases to hold their candy fortune. From the looks of their slim cases, they hadn't gotten very far yet.

No matter how quickly I attempted to pull my hat down over my face, Jacob unfortunately noticed me with the eyes of an eagle.

"Oh, hi, Mireille!" the fourteen-year-old called out as if greeting his favorite cousin at a family reunion. Every one of my human friends turned to stare at me in curiosity or – in Lauren and Samantha's case – irritation. Suddenly I was the center of attention once again and neither of the blondes liked that at all.

"Jacob," I reluctantly greeted the teen, resigned to my continual fate of never quite escaping an awkward situation when it presented itself. Edward gently pressed a comforting hand to my back, but said nothing.

"Jacob?" Jessica repeated inquisitively.

"Jacob Black," the lean boy offered almost proudly in reply.

"How did _you_ meet Ray?" Tyler asked defensively.

I wanted to smack Tyler very, very hard – it took all of Edward's willpower to willingly restrain me from the action.

"Who's Ray?" Jacob repeated, brow crunched in confusion.

"When we first met last year, I asked Mireille it was an okay nickname," Ben shrugged sheepishly.

"Huh… Well, I bumped into Mireille by accident the other day," Jacob answered easily, undisturbed by Crowley's rudeness and apparently unimpressed by my school nickname. I rolled my eyes as the teen added more embarrassedly, "Knocked all her party stuff down in the store… She was chill about it, though."

"Who are your friends?" Angela wondered kindly as always, evidently not recognizing my annoyance with Jacob.

"This is Quil Ateara and Embry Call," Jacob introduced his best friends fearlessly.

Throwing up a hand in greeting, Quil's softer, more rounded face spread into a smile. "Hi, guys!"

Embry's deep-set eyes were full of cheer on his far more toned face as he waved excitedly at us all. "Hey!"

To my surprise, as my friends all greeted the two boys, Jacob then turned to look far behind them and waved someone forward. Whoever it was didn't seem inclined to join us, but after a moment, two figures came forward in a rather amusing position.

A cute kid with a big smile – bits of babyish fullness still clinging on his face – had also dressed as a pirate and dragged behind him a pretty young woman with long, shining dark hair. She was clearly the eldest of the group and looking rightly annoyed by the boys around her. Despite that, the young woman – also matching the pirate theme – indulged the boy dragging her along with fond exasperation. I had a feeling I knew who they were.

"This is Seth and Leah Clearwater," Jacob pointed at the siblings, confirming my suspicions. "Leah's only here because Seth begged her to come with."

"Shut up, Jacob," Leah scowled at the cheeky teen, far less indulgent of him than of her baby brother.

"Nice to meet you," I waved awkwardly at the five future wolves, uncomfortably aware that at least one of them would never, ever like the Cullens no matter how good they were. Edward pressed my back reassuringly for the second time.

"Are you Marty McFly?" Seth's younger voice called out in awe, wide brown eyes looking over Edward's detailed, excellently-made costume with amazement. The boy looked only a couple years older than Angela's brothers – twelve years old, tops, I figured – as he pushed forward however far his sister's watchful grip would allow. As for Leah, she rolled her eyes with a tiny, fond smile over her brother's excitement.

Chuckling, Edward nodded and knelt closer to the pre-teen boy's level with only a slight bit of awkwardness. "Yes, I am."

"Cool!" Seth declared, unconcerned of anyone else's opinions. "I love _Back to the Future_. It's one of my favorite movies."

"It's one of mine, too," Edward confessed, withholding a larger grin for the sake of his threatening teeth.

Just like that, Edward had gained a new fan, similar to what Seth offered him in the books. I practically had to bite my tongue off to stop myself from laughing out loud at their adorable connection. It was the only time Edward ever got to be the big brother rather than the younger one and I simply _loved_ it. He was just too cute.

Eyeing me shrewdly from his peripheral vision, Edward just shook his head in minute exasperation with my latest sentimental mashing and let it go.

"You know, this is great, Mireille," Jacob exclaimed enthusiastically, rubbing his hands together eerily reminiscent of an excitable Emmett. "I was just telling Quil and Embry about your party tomorrow!"

Grinding my teeth almost audibly, I spoke through gritted molars in a very sour attempt at courtesy, "How nice of you, Jacob…"

"Oh, you don't have make nice with me. I know you asked Charlie to tell my dad," Jacob grinned broadly, unashamed of his rebelliousness and apparently unbothered by my snitching on him. Jacob just shrugged carelessly, leaving me to inhale and exhale deeply in hopes of restoring calm. Jacob Black's reckless rebellion stood as a near antithesis of my typically cautious, careful nature.

"You're coming to the party, too?" Katie, of all people, stuck her babbling nose in, grinning like she had found a treasure trove under a dirt pile.

I knew exactly what she was thinking, too – boyfriend material for me. After all, from what she knew, Jacob wasn't that much younger than I was. She also had no idea he was eventually going to be a shape-shifting wolf who would imprint on a very specific person somewhere down the line, but still… Rolling my eyes to the sky and back around to face Katie, I glared at the girl more fiercely than I had glared at anyone for a long while. The redhead gulped a little at my expression, but the damage was already done.

"Well, I'd like to," Jacob frowned suddenly. "I mean, my dad told me not to, but I'll try to work on him. Anyway, even if he says yes, Mireille didn't actually tell me what time – just that it's tomorrow."

"Oh, it's at eight o'clock!" Jessica threw in, rapidly catching on to Katie's scheming with a matching grin. "You can meet us at the diner in town if you want."

"You're meeting at the diner?" Quil spoke up with immense confusion.

"No one except Angela has ever been to Ray and Edward's house," Katie explained and gestured at Edward and I, previous discomfort forgotten in the face of Jessica's comradeship. "So we're all meeting up to let her lead the way."

"Cool," Embry agreed, smiling anew.

In the face of an increasingly catastrophic situation, I nearly had a conniption fit before Edward gripped my arm in understanding caution.

"We'll see you there, then," Jacob settled the matter happily, winking obnoxiously at me. He was a good deal nicer than his book self, but just as confident and annoying.

Catching on to my frustration with remarkable ease, Jacob's grin widened.

_Very_ annoying.

' _Did I mention he was annoying?_ ' I queried mentally of Edward, who faced a sudden coughing fit that drew everyone's concern but mine.

"He's just dying," I mentioned casually to the group, walking ahead before any more plans could be made in spite of my blatant refusals. Still choking on repressed humor, Edward followed behind even as the entire group suddenly recognized I was joking and emitted startled laughter.

Jacob's little 'pack' as I had taken to calling them – for they would be just that in a couple of years – joined our now enormous group of people for the rest of the night trick-or-treating, increasing my concern and irritating me beyond belief even as it amused me in some strange part of myself.

I had to admit, however reluctantly, that Jacob was quite a friendly person and he was able to bond with almost all of my friends except Lauren, Samantha, and Tyler. Even Mike kind of liked him, not that I was exactly surprised. Jacob even stumbled under the typical teenager growth spurt several times, but no one paid it any mind. The future alpha already admitted three separate ways that he was awkward at the moment.

Funniest of all, Jacob seemed to genuinely like Edward once the bronze-haired vampire decided to open up a little. I could see the precise moment Edward gave up and just lived in the moment – his eyes zeroed in on Jacob with deep consideration, but in a heartbeat his lips twitched amusedly at the far brighter teen than what he might have become as a wolf.

Feeling a bit put out that Edward didn't stay as vigilant as myself, I frowned and went quiet for most of the evening afterward.

Three things made me break form.

The first was Whitney, who looked a little like an outsider straggling off to the side of our group. Feeling badly – for it was my invitation that had brought her out with us – I stepped over to chatter with the strawberry blonde throughout a whole neighborhood we trick-or-treated in.

Second to make me break form was the interactions between Edward and Seth. The younger boy stayed right beside Edward the whole time, always bringing up dorky but endearing questions about movies and television or – as was most common – about _Back to the Future_ and Marty McFly. Edward kept his hand on Seth's shoulder the entire time, guiding the boy helpfully throughout the streets we walked.

The last thing to change my mood, I was surprised to admit, was Leah Clearwater. The dark-haired young woman clearly had already faced her heartbreak with Sam a while ago and she looked just as bedraggled as I would have expected. Yet somehow we found common ground on an unforeseen subject.

"Does Edward have little siblings or something?" Leah quietly inquired while we trailed behind the chattering duo of Edward and Seth. It was the first time she had actually let go of her brother's hand and it appeared she couldn't stand to have her fingers so free, instead twirling pieces of long, shining hair.

"No, he was an only child," I explained of the long-gone Masens. "And being with Carlisle and Esme only gave him older siblings."

"Seth really likes him," Leah admitted. "I'm kind of surprised. Seth's been back and forth moody the past year or two. My parents say it's normal for tweens, but I still hate it. He's always been a super sweet kid until the past couple years. He can argue like the best of us now."

"That does sound like normal pre-teen behavior," I laughed a little. "It's that need to explore their growing independence. He'll get over it."

Speaking not only from guesswork, I wondered if Seth would truly turn out as wonderfully as he did in the books. Shaking away the uncomfortable idea of anything different in his future, I tuned back in to whatever else Leah might have to say.

After a mildly edgy pause, Leah announced even more quietly, "Edward's good with my brother…"

"Edward has a natural way with children, I think," I shrugged thoughtfully, imagining the times with Renesmee in the book. "He lets them just be kids, but also makes sure they feel safe and important. That combination of feeling wanted, protected, and yet independent is a pretty big thing for a pre-teen."

"Yeah, that seems to fit them both," Leah surprisingly agreed, nodding into the silence that overtook us.

It was well past nine o'clock when everyone parted ways and returned to the diner, catching the last few straggler houses along the way, it must be said.

Goodbyes said and promises of tomorrow laid down despite my glare at Jacob, finally Edward and I got into the Acura. We only released twin sighs of relief once the Quileute kids had disappeared down the road towards the reservation.

" _That_ was a challenge," Edward disclosed, mentally weary after our escapade.

"Challenge?" I scoffed disbelievingly. "More like a disaster."

"You were decently engrossed talking to Leah," the bronze-haired vampire mentioned.

"She started the conversation," I denied disbelievingly. "You didn't have to go down on bended knee with all of them!"

"We'll eventually connect to all of them anyway," Edward snorted, backing out of the parking space and heading towards the house. "I figured this would be an opportunity to challenge their future perceptions of us."

"You were right in Chicago," I grumbled.

Lifting a bronze eyebrow curiously, Edward prompted me to continue.

"When you said you were always reckless," I grumbled even more darkly, glaring at the seventeen-year-old from my slouched position in the passenger seat.

Edward erupted with barking laughter, ignoring my foul mood and hypocrisy on the drive back with impossible totality by singing in perfect synchrony to The Everly Brothers' song 'Claudette' when it came on the oldies station.

That night, on an overload of frustration with Jacob, the tribe, Katie, Jessica, Tyler, Lauren, and even Edward, I finally realized the costume I _really_ wanted to wear. Forget not making a statement, I told myself staunchly.

I was going to attend my party dressed as none other than Little Red Riding Hood.

Every single member of the Cullen family stared at my pronouncement.

It was Emmett who laughed first, followed swiftly by Edward, Jasper, and Alice. Rosalie closed her eyes, suppressing her instinctive response, but Carlisle and Esme eyed me concernedly.

"Are you sure that's the wisest course of action, Mir?" Esme tentatively questioned.

"Edward said it best," I replied firmly, quoting the lean vampire's consoling words from earlier that day, "One outfit for Halloween won't make the pack suddenly dive after us with claws and teeth bared. Right?"

Hesitating without a fully cognizant argument, Carlisle eventually sighed slightly and tilted his head to look at Esme with a sense of reluctant acceptance for my stubborn statements.

Sighing in equal forbearance, Esme threw her hands up helplessly and let go of her debate.

"Come on, we'll get started before it's too late," Alice encouraged through a grin, guiding me to the stairs. "What do you want it to look like?"

"Lots and lots of red," I started wryly, finally lifting a miniscule half-laugh from Rosalie, who at last joined her husband and siblings in their humor.

The next morning, I rose with the sun after a near-sleepless night, frustrated by the intuition my gift threw at me in the middle of contemplating unwelcome party crashers. In light of my gift's unwanted nudge, I ate my breakfast with only half an interest before heading to self-defense with Jasper, and immediately after returning I moved into my party plans with a sense of deep resignation.

Somehow, some way, someone unwelcome was going to crash the party that night. Probably Jacob, but how was I to know for sure? After the way Seth goggled over 'cool' Marty McFly, perhaps it was the youngest of the group who would convince his sister to drag him over to the big, bad Cullen house.

"Big, bad?" Edward snorted from behind me where I sorted through the boatload of candy I'd bought for the night.

"Close enough," I muttered, still vaguely annoyed with him getting so cozy with the Quileute boys after all my worrying.

"Oh, don't be a stiff," Alice intervened with a sniffy voice, entering the room with an armload of decorations. "This is great. They like Edward already. It's an excellent start on the future."

"You _would_ say that," I griped to the pixielike vampire, tossing a fun size candy bar with a little more force than necessary.

Alice ignored me like a professional, as did every vampire in the house while they all decorated the entire estate to the specifications Esme and Alice had helped me perfect in the three weeks leading up. The party had been offered to a much broader group of students than I ever expected, so I had to have a really good selection of games, foods, drinks, treats, and décor to keep everybody occupied and far away from exploring the house too closely. The Cullens planned to lock every unnecessary door anyway, but we had to be cautious nonetheless.

If the previous Christmas had been a spectacle to my eyes, this party had become just as much of one for the sake of evasion and security.

The garage had been emptied of cars, all of them parked elsewhere. Charlie had been kind enough to let Carlisle park the Mercedes and the Mazda ahead of the cruiser in his short driveway at the Swan house, but the rest had been placed under tarps in a temporary car shelter behind the garage itself. Edward and Rosalie almost got into a snit over the potential of damage to their precious cars until Jasper suggested the car port idea. Now the shelter also had been walled off with plywood painted black – one more layer of protection for the vehicles and a nice little backdrop for the outdoor scene.

At the fork in the main drive to the estate, the path to the house was lined with white milk jugs painted with ghost faces and filled with string lights. Contrarily, the path to the garage and – consequently – the entrance of the main outdoor event had been lined with jack-o-lanterns that carried candles inside.

As for the garage, we had really blown it up with blacklights, neon tape, and glowing paint. In the vast empty space, black fabric draped from the walls, painted with chilling phrases as though it was an old abandoned house in a scary movie. Most of the garage had been cordoned off with more black-painted plywood set up as dividers. In the small area left behind, an entrance had been arranged with a glow-in-the-dark skeleton collapsed against the makeshift wall and upon the black plywood had been painted the glowing words 'Turn back now'.

Once past the cautionary entry, the large space beyond offered a small selection of activities. In the nearest sections, there stood a ring toss game using witch's hats made from construction cones, boxes full of sensory items meant to creep out the hands reaching into them, and a candy toss where candy corn had to be thrown into tiny little cauldrons. Pumpkin bowling took up the greatest section of the garage, a fun glow-in-the-dark game with neon tape lining the 'lanes' and pins made from plastic juice bottles with glow sticks inside.

From the garage games led a starting path into the main event. All around the estate, from garage to house and beyond, the Cullens and I had created a fake forest the likes of which I felt were worthy of awards. Owing most of the tree design and construction to Esme's creativity and talent, I felt exceedingly pleased with the resulting dark-painted wooden forms with creeping and overreaching branches that seemed to grab the unsuspecting passerby with horrid claws and hover high above their heads.

The only space not covered in fake trees was the main path and the direct front yard. On the far left of the main house stood the garage as one end cap and Esme's white tree swing topped out the other end of the slightly U-shaped forest with a white floating ghost layered in cobwebs.

Around the outlying edges of the property, the actual, living forest had been blocked off with yellow caution tape and barricades with signs claiming such things as 'Beware!' and 'Do not enter!' and 'Danger Ahead!' with fearfully painted letters. Not only did it provide security against wanderers and unwanted incidents or accidents, but it also fit perfectly with the Halloween vibe.

If the great, yawning black forest in the enormous yard was not creepy enough with its massive array of cobwebs, moss, creeping vines, dark greenery, floating bats, and hanging black fabric strips, we made it a hundred times creepier when scattered with fake headstones, a few coffins, whole and partial skeletons, and life-size black witch forms with green-lit 'heads' covered with black tulle. To top it off, Carlisle and Esme had garnered an unused fog machine from Katie's parents to intersperse our 'Haunted Wood' with mystical creepiness aided by glow sticks and twinkle lights in purple, orange, and green.

Out at the far back corner of the property, Esme's greenhouse had been transformed from charming to eerie with all glass panes tinted by sheer dark green material and cobwebs. In addition, Esme had brought in all rich, deep autumn plants to darken the building's interior.

At the front of the house, the porch steps had been carefully and expertly drenched with the liquid from green glow sticks, leaving the steps appearing as though slime or acid had dripped down every step. At the top, shredded white material imitating cobwebs had been hung for visitors to walk through. All along the porch ceiling, witch's brooms with mini orange lights had been hung to appear 'floating' as they waited for their rider.

Inside the house displayed cobwebs in the furthest corners of every room on the main level, and a few smaller creepy trees in the foyer to greet visitors as they stepped through. Far above everyone's heads hung lighted black witch's hats throughout the first floor.

Around the edges of every floor space stood small black lanterns with cutout scenes showing up against white screens on all four sides. The top had been cut into tree branches imitating the creepy forest outside and in the foyer. We reused several decorations from the previous year, including the pumpkin lanterns and puppet skeletons; custom monster banner; and the black, orange, green, and purple taper candles. The differences were mostly placement of each reused item, with lanterns and skeletons hung more at random, although the taper candles had been moved from mismatched holders to all black holders.

Edward's baby grand piano faced a huge protective step; Esme had been quite creative about it. Different eerie ghost forms had been placed in the front windows of the conservatory space, all blocked in with the same plywood painted black. Moving the piano as close to the false wall as possible, Esme then boxed the piano into its own black plywood safe space. To be doubly sure no harm befell the piano by accidentally hitting one of the plywood pieces, Esme doubled the plywood and placed a boatload of cheap fluff as insulation between layers.

Whatever room remained in the conservatory, it was used to house all of the foods, drinks, and treats. Esme and I remade mummy pizzas, but also added baked potatoes with all the trimmings ready to decorate with. Homemade punches looked ghastly by their coloring and playful bobbing tidbits. Fake spiders and bugs had been Emmett's initial suggestion, but I rapidly vetoed in favor of far less disgusting mini pumpkins in the blood orange punch and little black witch hats in the green apple punch, both drinks smoking with food-grade dry ice.

Treats ranged from an insanely broad selection of candy to Jell-O jigglers in Halloween shapes, monster munch popcorn, Frankenstein rice krispie treats, witch hat waffle cones filled with chocolate candies, headstone cookies, and candy corn cupcakes. One of the biggest treat items was a cauldron full of apples for bobbing set right in the center against the front piano safety wall.

More black-painted plywood blocked off the entire kitchen wall and both doorways, sitting a few feet ahead of the lengthy area with yellow caution tape on the front of it. It looked entirely blocked, but the whole piece was mobile so it could be moved if any food or drink needed refills or spills needed cleaning.

The central staircase, too, had been wrapped up in all black and cobwebs; no one would even know it was a staircase just by looking at it, which was a wonderful method of snooping prevention. The hallway off the foyer had been covered with black curtains, leaving it closed off yet accessible for bathroom use. From out of the fireplace peered scary, angry eyes made out of twinkle lights attached to chicken wire.

Blacklights galore filtered the space into a wonderful haunted house, the ambience enhanced by the sheer purple material covering the entire window wall at the back of the house like a thick fog, as well as bat and spider cutouts hanging along the top. Esme draped the tables in black and almost every other piece of furniture had been covered in white sheets the same as an old, derelict mansion.

With the house and yard ready to go forty minutes before the party started, I tried to settle myself somehow and wind down before the impending swarm – less my human friends and more the Quileute teenagers who were so determined to be different.

"Are you still panicking?" Edward sighed, strains of humor in his velvet voice.

"Are you still under-reacting?" I retorted with a slight scowl for the bronze-haired vampire.

"It will be _fine_ ," Edward insisted forcibly, grabbing both of my shoulders to give me a playful little shake. "Try to have some fun tonight."

An eyeroll was all the response I felt he deserved, but it seemed to appease Edward immensely for some strange reason and he left me to my worrisome thoughts once more.

Indiana Jones joined me next in brown leather jacket, boots, slacks, and fedora matched with a khaki button-up shirt, coiled whip, old fashioned revolver, and cross-body utility pouch. It took a long, blinking moment to realize the wearer of said costume was none other than Jasper.

"I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed," Jasper grinned teasingly at me in his Texan drawl, wrapping an arm of solace around my shoulders while I wallowed over possibilities even as I considered his perfect costume. "Here I was all excited to see a cowgirl and you go on to choose Red Riding Hood."

"You're trying to cheer me up and distract me," I stated, no doubt in my mind as I restlessly pushed back the one lock of hair that had escaped the half-up hairstyle on my head.

"Of course I am," Jasper scoffed amusedly, not bothering to hide his purpose in teasing an outfit he already knew I was going to wear. He had laughed about the initial decision, after all.

Jasper had, in fact, been the first person aside from Alice to see my heavy crimson cape, white peasant blouse, fake corset in plaid, crimson skirt underlain with crinoline, black tights, black laced boots, and (of course) single-handle woven basket.

"I don't think it's going to work all that well right now," I admitted with a heaving sigh and sat on the nearest sheet-covered sofa, throwing my chin into my hands. "Wonderful costume, by the way."

"Thank you," Jasper nodded and settled beside me in a matching pose with his elbows up on his knees. "I actually picked it out myself this year… Not that Alice was unaware of my choice."

Huffing a tiny measure of laughter over the qualifier, I continued to brood with uncomfortable persistence.

Expelling a sigh of his own, Jasper reached out to grasp my arm nearest him in a gentle grip. "If nothing else, Mir, maybe this is our way of easing tensions between wolf and vampire before Bella's arrival."

"By Jacob bursting in on our party and making the tribe have a meltdown because they can't cross territory to protect him from the terrible, no-good, nasty bloodsuckers?"

Taking a brief moment to digest my words, Jasper pursed his lips in thought, but eventually just chortled humorously.

"I should dose you with pure exhaustion," the former solider offered warningly after a minute, although I knew he wasn't serious.

"The moment you stopped, I'd be right back at square one," was my only response, a shrug accompanying the matter-of-fact statement.

Jasper could only raise an eyebrow at me when Alice zipped in front of us with an excited grin that foretold crazy events unspoken.

"I don't like that look in your eye," I announced bluntly, lips pursed with as much thought as Jasper's had been moments earlier.

Sniffing as though offended, Alice pointed her nose towards the air with great effect. "I'm completely offended, Mireille Whitlock."

"You're always offended," I muttered without any real heat.

"Oh, suck it up," Alice replied in standard fashion, still blazingly pleased about something only she and Edward could see. "Come on, some of the students will be arriving in a few minutes.

"Did you see anything about Jacob?" I had to ask, bringing a loud, unified groan from every Cullen except Rosalie – and even she seemed a bit put out by the ongoing obsession.

Least affected by my intensely single-minded concern, Alice tossed eyes to the ceiling and back down.

"I have yet to see him arriving," the tiny blue-clad vampire concluded delicately, rapidly correcting my single loose lock of hair and walking off before I could press the issue.

Of all the Cullens' costumes, there was yet one I hadn't seen and in the uncomfortable waiting time before the first arrivals, I finally got to. Laughing loudly at the ironic costume, I felt some of my nerves unintentionally sliding away.

Esme had dressed as a referee, complete with a silver whistle and penalty flags sticking out of her pockets.

"Do you like it, then?" Esme laughed along with me, throwing her arms out to the side. "I almost dressed as an umpire, but that seemed a bit cumbersome."

"I love it!" I exclaimed giddily for a change, clapping my hands with bright cheer. "It's perfect for you!"

"I thought so, too," Esme agreed, smiling happily. "With all of you, I have to be a referee as much as a mother!"

Everyone joined our laughter then, leaving the atmosphere far pleasanter than it had been.

Alice came bounding back into the room not a minute later, clapping her hands with unbelievable enthusiasm. "It's time, it's time!"

In a blink, every vampire in the house disappeared out onto the porch, Alice herself carrying me out with them.

Half of our trick-or-treating crew showed up at the house before anyone else, Jacob blatantly absent from their number. Lifting a brow at the apparent change in plans, I felt my body relax ever-so-slightly. Perhaps Jacob had actually listened to Billy about not attending the party.

Listening to my morphing mentality as Angela led Jessica, Katie, Conner, and Lee up the drive with wondering eyes, Edward leaned down to murmur smugly in my ear, "See?"

"Shut up," I muttered in return, resulting in muffled laughter from the entire family. Edward just smirked slightly, unaffected.

"This is so cool!" Jessica practically squealed at the remarkable feat of Halloween decorating when the group reached the 'dripping' front steps. Every pair of eyes roved back and forth from one piece of décor to the next, unable to even make the trip up the porch for fear of missing their step in fascinated staring.

"Come on in," I laughed delightedly at their amazement, waving the five students up to where we all stood.

They followed immediately, but upon seeing Emmett's imposing black Vader costume, every teen stopped dead in their tracks.

"Oh, it's just Emmett," I said, waving them off impatiently, no longer bothered by Emmett's outfit. "Come on, there's more to look at inside!"

More warily than before, the five much smaller teenagers shuffled past Emmett with definite intimidation. A guffaw from the burly vampire under his face mask didn't do him any favors, I had to admit amusedly. Jasper and Edward snickered and chortled together over the reaction, leaving at least Conner and Lee a bit embarrassed by their fear.

"Boys!" Esme scolded her sons, forcibly repressing her own humor in order to look stern. Carlisle didn't fare nearly as well, grinning mildly over the situation.

Through the cobwebs and creepy trees, my human friends made their way into the house ahead of us, more excited and amazed sounds filling the air as they saw the entirety of our Halloween fun.

"I can't wait for it to start!" Katie jumped up and down a little, making us laugh.

By the time Ben, Austin, and Whitney showed up a few minutes later, Katie nearly lost her patience waiting to begin the party, but the three new arrivals renewed her interest and kept her at bay until the less desired visitors showed up within the next fifteen minutes. Not only Mike, Lauren, Tyler, and Samantha, but half our junior class showed up, including the entire Homecoming Committee. Stray freshman, sophomores, and seniors filled out the group, even the school choir. At the Homecoming football game, I had shrugged and decided to invite them. If we were going to be stuck with people like Lauren and Tyler, I figured it wouldn't hurt to have buffers.

Carlisle and Esme took their role with alacrity, speaking to parents who had dropped off their teens for the party, assuring them of safety measures and curfew times with great confidence and persuasion.

The Cullens' enormous home had never felt so small before, nor our eight-man group so outnumbered. Yet in the midst of the big party of people, Emmett's dark figure standing at the fringes still felt overwhelmingly large and noticeable. Grinning for the familiarity despite so many strange kids in the house, I turned to check one more time if any came up the driveway. Free of new arrivals a few minutes after eight o'clock, I guessed it was time to begin.

Catching Alice's excited gaze across the living area, I knew I was right.

Carlisle and Esme caught on immediately and began calling for quiet in the raucous group. I felt bad for whatever mess and chaos we would have to clean up later. At least the furniture was covered and the piano safely tucked away.

Edward's disbelieving snort caught my attention, even across the room, but I just offered him a pair of twinkling eyes.

"Welcome to our house, everyone!" Carlisle was the first to speak, the last few gabbing mouths finally growing quiet. "We hope it wasn't too hard for everyone to find…"

A gaggle of nervous chuckling eclipsed the moment over the mild joke.

"Your parents have spoken with us about curfew and safety," Esme took over sternly. "This party will end at midnight, no matter what. If you drove yourself or with friends, then your parents are expecting every one of you home in prompt order once it's done. If your parents drove you, you are not to leave until they arrive. Is that clear?"

Some grumbling did insert itself, but most of the students nodded their agreement to Esme's firm words. I had no doubt many of the parents had already made their time limits quite clear.

"Mireille, why don't you take over?" Esme suggested, clearly just having thought of it; her golden eyes twinkled at me.

"All right," I concurred hesitantly, stepping forward to address the group in waves of nervousness. "Hi, everybody."

A matching 'hi' rose from the assembled group with a little laugh at the anticlimactic greeting, my human friends at the forefront.

"I'm glad everyone could make it. We have a lot to do, but let me introduce everyone… Carlisle masquerades as Sherlock Holmes and Esme is our referee, Edward is Marty McFly, Rosalie is heroic Supergirl and Alice is from _Alice in Wonderland_ , Emmett is the terrifying Darth Vader and Jasper is Indiana Jones, and I'm playing Little Red Riding Hood."

A couple of hoots and hollers rang out for costumes people liked, particularly Supergirl, Darth Vader, and Indiana Jones. I was pleased to see no one else wore similar costumes to ours, at least for the sake of high visibility. Witches, sockhop girls, zombies, clowns, vampires, animals, princesses, superheroes, vintage jailbirds, and public service uniforms all filled out the group with mostly typical costume fare.

Pressing forward more surely of myself, I turned up the volume a bit and gestured whenever I spoke of a particular area in the house or outside, "Alice has face painting on the sofas. Edward has apple bobbing and a guessing jar; whoever guesses the closest amount of candy corn wins the jar. Esme has pumpkin painting in the dining area and Carlisle has pumpkin carving out in the greenhouse. Rosalie leads games out in the garage. Last, but not least, Emmett and Jasper will guide you around the 'Haunted Wood' outside. I'll be your guide inside, but I'll help if Emmett and Jasper can't. We're going to have some Halloween music and there's a bunch of food and candy."

A chorus of 'ooh' and 'ahh' filled the room at the mention of music and food before I could continue, "For our Haunted Wood, you can just get scared or you can go pumpkin hunting. These little carved wood pumpkins are painted gold and hidden all over. The top six hunters get a prize. No one goes beyond the caution tape around the yard, okay? Everyone has to be inside at eleven-thirty so we can hand out prizes and get everyone ready to go home. Have fun and Happy Halloween!"

A cheer and clapping went up in the room at all the fun waiting and in an instant the students dispersed through the house or – in most cases – followed Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle outside for the games, carving, and Haunted Wood. The first song to blast through the room was 'Monster Mash' and I grinned at Alice for her choice. Winking cheekily, the tiny vampire hurried over to her face painting station on the sofas, already lined up with several kids wanting makeup to match their costumes.

While helping a couple of sophomores out on the front porch find the garage for the Halloween games, I relished our luck that Jacob hadn't arrived as he said he would. For just a moment, I breathed a sigh of relief.

The sight of Charlie's cruiser coming up the driveway not a minute later should have told me my relief was unfounded, but I was still smiling like an idiot when a pirate stepped out of the car and onto the ghost-lined main drive.

That grinning, boyish face and Charlie Swan's triumphant features told me a story I couldn't believe. If Charlie had brought the fourteen-year-old with him, then Billy must have given permission…

"Jacob?" I uttered, dreading my own realization and lingering suspicions as the boy headed up to the front steps at a jog, meeting my blank gaze with a shrug. "Your dad said this was okay?"

"Well… uh… not exactly…" Jacob looked sheepish, but grinned triumphantly all the same, "I might have sneaked out on him. Leah might have helped… _And_ Charlie…"

Warning bells clanged in my head at the implications of the careless choices made by Charlie and the young Quileutes. Rebellious choices. Dangerous choices. Would the wolves descend, quite literally, upon our lives now?

"Jacob, are you out of your mind?" I exclaimed loudly, panic growing in my heart. Luckily none of the students from Forks High stood nearby, else I would have had a lot of explaining to do. "You shouldn't have come here like that!"

"Oh, hey, hey," Jacob tired to calm me down, startled by my sudden reaction. "Charlie made me leave a note for my dad. I said Charlie took me and I'd be home by midnight. It's fine! Anyway, I've done that before when I wanted to go hang with Quil and Embry. I mean, yeah, sometimes we don't exactly get home _right_ at midnight, but…"

"You _will_ be back home before midnight, this time!" I nearly commanded the fourteen-year-old, voice as stern as Esme when Emmett spouted the utmost of lewd comments. "I don't care what's going on here, you're going to be back home before that time. It wasn't right of you to do this to your dad, even with Charlie's input."

More than sheepish, Jacob now looked quite ashamed. "I know… I just… These superstitions are so stupid!"

"I know," I agreed emphatically, anxiously recalling the last several weeks of concern and near-panic. "But your dad is going to be frantic. You're his only son, Jacob. Even if you weren't, he has every right to worry about you. No matter how wrong it is to call my family monsters, or to accuse them of wanting to hurt people, it doesn't make it any more right for you to lie and sneak out."

"You're right," Jacob sighed, struggling with the idea quite a lot. At fourteen years old, I supposed that was normal, but I wished it wasn't. "Look, I'll be home early, no matter what's happening. Okay?"

Offering the teen an expectant look, I lifted one eyebrow in prompting, arms crossed over my chest.

"And I'll apologize," Jacob murmured, sufficiently cowed even if he was equally reluctant.

"Good," I retorted firmly, glancing towards the cruiser with deeper suspicion in my soul that Charlie hadn't left yet.

Letting Jacob wallow in his shame for a moment, I decided to use my gift. Irritated that I had neglected its use while under the influence of the recent emotional disruption, I frowned and worked my 'magic' long enough to determine the answer to my inner question.

Yes, Jacob _had_ brought others with him.

While I had my suspicions who, I nonetheless exhaled in annoyance and turned to Jacob with brows furrowed nearly into one solid line.

"Who did you bring with you?"

There was no room for hesitation in my words and for the first time since meeting me, Jacob appeared vaguely intimidated.

"Um… Quil and Embry."

Narrowed blue eyes in addition to a near unibrow prompted further information in a heartbeat.

"Leah…" Jacob trailed with an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "And uh… Seth?"

Jacob tensed as if expecting an explosion, which I didn't feel all that far off from having. Closing my eyes just long enough to not burst, I reopened them in a flash and retorted sharply, "Fine."

Taking what he could get, Jacob waved his four friends up in a real hurry.

I had rarely seen doors open and slam so fast, except with the Cullens at vampire speed. The four kids scrambled up the drive, Leah tugging Seth's hand, and Charlie pulled away laughing at them.

Stuck with five hapless rebel pirates who clearly didn't listen to their parents, I wondered what on Earth I had done to deserve so much stupidity and pressure. Charlie was a grown man, for God's sake, and he acted as recklessly and rebelliously as any of the teenagers in front of me.

"You four better have left notes for your parents, too. And you're all going to be home before midnight. No arguments!" I snapped for the first time, even to Leah, the eldest of the five.

Based on our true years of birth, Leah would actually have been a couple years older than me, but seeing as I had been sent back earlier in the timeline, she was now physically younger. Trying to determine the mathematics of my time shift still gave me headaches at times and this was the worst possible time to face such a headache.

"Got it!" Quil spoke up, smile hesitantly cheerful.

"Yep!" Embry echoed his friend with a more playful nod than I felt warranted.

Leah shrugged, a secretive smile lingering on her face that reminded me strangely of Rosalie. "Fine."

Young Seth echoed his big sister's shrug and careless answer. "Fine."

Jacob smothered a snort.

Rolling my eyes broadly at all five of the young smart-alecks, I sighed and gave them a condensed version of my first speech to the high school students, guiding them all just past the foyer to see the interior of the decorated house.

Hardly had I finished explaining where Marty 'Edward' McFly held a station than did Seth shout 'Cool!' and jog to find his _Back to the Future_ buddy. Between the five of us left behind, not one of us could stop laughter at his enthusiasm. Even I, with all my current cynicism, couldn't prevent the humor from overtaking me. Seth was just too sweet, as was his friendship with Edward.

The best part of it was the loud laugh that escaped from Edward not a minute later, echoing over the music and chaos from the party raging all around us as Seth hugged his grinning new pal, the younger boy still caught between childlike cuddling and the growing call of rebellion against physical affection.

Heaving a sigh, I finally allowed my shoulders to drop helplessly.

How many times did Edward laugh so genuinely and boisterously? Or allow such a warm, brotherly hug? No way in the world could I begrudge Edward the joy he obviously felt playing big brother to Seth Clearwater. Edward and Seth were bound to be great friends. Fate just wanted it that way.

After all the panic and worry and fear, constantly questioning what would happen, who would come accusing, or if we would come under attack… I gave up. Without even a mental argument, I gave up trying to keep distances no one else seemed to desire.

Noise filled the house wildly and unendingly as the night progressed with five new additions. All of my closest school friends found the time to come from whatever activity engrossed them and let me know just how amazing the party was. Sour Lauren didn't even look sour once she'd been through the Haunted Wood with Tyler and let him convince her to get zombie face paint. Alice looked all too gleeful to paint Lauren's face as ugly as her personality, although Lauren certainly didn't seem to realize that little quirk.

Even Angela and Whitney stepped out of their shells to try dancing to Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' hit. Tyler Crowley didn't even annoy anyone when he utilized his perfect costume to lead the infamous dance. Badly, it was true, but he led it nonetheless and everyone who stood in the house chimed in gleefully to try the moves.

Winners were announced for the pumpkin hunt at a quarter after eleven, Amanda from Homecoming Committee winning first place. Embry picked within one number to win the candy corn jar, although if Jacob and Quil's faces were any judge, the jar would be a divided sugar pot whether Embry wanted it to be or not.

Jack-o-lantern gift bags were handed out, gaining mixed reactions for their contents of a toothbrush and toothpaste, chips, gum, and a deck of cards. Some loved the games enough to not be upset by the lack of candy, and some definitely grumbled a little at the much healthier bag of goods, but when everyone was told to fill the remaining space in their gift bags with candy before they left, those glum faces turned around in short order.

As if that wasn't enough sugar, Esme caved and let some of the worst beggars take home other treats they could carry along with their gift bag. Carlisle barely smothered an obvious chortle at his wife's blatant inability to refuse Seth Clearwater, in particular. Esme smacked the doctor's chest in retaliation when none of the exiting students were looking.

All in all, my Halloween party turned out to be a smash hit beyond any doubt, finishing up earlier than expected at eleven thirty. True to the promise of Jacob's note, Charlie came back shortly thereafter with a firm expression to the toddler-like pouts of the three older Quileute boys.

Groaning at the combination of Carlisle, Esme, and Charlie (and myself, where Charlie couldn't see me) as a cumulative glaring force, the boys relented under duress.

"This was a great Halloween party," Jacob spoke first. "You guys have been really awesome."

"Thanks for letting us come," Embry nodded with a smile as he popped a few pieces of candy corn into his mouth.

"Yeah, I haven't had that much fun for a while," Quil added, punching Embry agreeably in the shoulder as he snuck a handful of candy corn from the half-open jar.

"It was a nice time," Leah confessed as if just beyond her willpower, shrugging a little less emptily than she had the night before.

"Thanks for letting me hang out with you," Seth offered mournfully to Edward, focusing solely on his brotherly bestie in his farewell. "It's too bad we couldn't watch _Back to the Future_."

It took all I had not to release a very warm, saccharine 'awww' over the adorable sentiment. I had the feeling Edward and Seth had earlier discussed watching the movie some time.

Withholding only half of his fond laugh, Edward leaned down to Seth's level and handed off a wrapped gift he procured seemingly from the thin air. "Here. I want you to have this."

"What is it?" Seth wondered curiously, shaking the package with a close ear.

Chuckling, Edward explained, "You have to open it to find out."

Seth excitedly tore open the orange-wrapped package to reveal a DVD of _Back to the Future_ , gasping in amazement at his prized movie. "That's the best!"

Every soul in the house laughed at the pre-teen's excitement.

"Thanks!" Seth grinned at Edward for the marvelous gift. "I can watch it every day now!"

Leah rolled brown eyes at her brother's ambitious, unrealistic plan, but said nothing to contradict. I imagined the young woman would let her parents do the nay-saying at the appropriate time. Frowning slightly in spite of the humorous moment, I hoped Harry and Sue wouldn't take the gift away on principle.

At that very moment, Seth's young face dropped abruptly and he turned up to look at Leah, Jacob, Quil, and Embry with doubly saddened eyes.

"Mom and Dad won't let me have something from the Cullens, will they?"

A long, difficult silence spread out over the lot of us, broken only by Charlie's disappointed sigh.

"Want me to keep it safe for you?"

Leah, of all people, bent down a little to reach her brother's slightly shorter level.

"You can do that?" Seth asked of his sister amazedly.

"Yeah, sure," the young woman replied with an easy lift of her shoulders. "We won't even tell Mom and Dad. If they ever find out about it, I'll say I bought it with my allowance. Okay?"

"Okay!" Seth agreed, grinning all over again at the win, but quickly checked the watching faces of everyone else in the room.

"Hey, I'm no snitch!" Emmett said through his Vader mask, his obvious offense making me smile. "I'm not going to tell anybody about your little gift."

"Why ever would you snitch about a gift, Emmett?" Carlisle spoke confusedly, looking around the room for answers he didn't actually require. "I haven't heard anything about a gift. Have you, Esme?"

"Goodness, no, Carlisle," Esme echoed her husband's playacted confusion perfectly, laying a startled hand on her collar bone. "Did we miss something?"

Seth's grin broadened immensely by the time Charlie added with equally false confusion, "I don't think we missed anything about a gift… Maybe a lift? These kids do need a ride home."

"That _must_ be it!" Esme concluded certainly, throwing a hand up in exasperation with her 'forgetful' mind. Chuckling and laughter spread throughout the room over the three parents' sneaky evasion of the truth.

Charlie wrangled his erstwhile charges outside with experience born of his long friendship with the Quileute tribe and the Black family. Four of the five slipped into the car while we watched from the driveway, but Jacob stood back for a moment, waving me away from the Cullens eagerly.

Warily I joined the fourteen-year-old several feet away, although I knew perfectly well the Cullens would hear everything being said. All for the best, I decided.

"Look, I'm really sorry if this causes any more weirdness with anybody from the rez," Jacob sighed, scratching the back of his neck with more of that uncomfortable confidence he was so full of at the small teenage growth spurt he had hit. "But after watching you with your family, after spending time with them… The way Edward is so great with Seth and the way Carlisle and Esme are amazing to everybody they meet… These superstitions just look worse and worse. Your family is definitely _not_ a bunch of monsters waiting to pounce. I don't want to just sit by and let my own dad accuse them of it."

"Running off half-cocked with some wild rebel plan isn't the way to fight it, Jacob," I sighed; thoroughly warmed by his sentiments and yet deeply saddened by the knowledge that one day in the next couple years his mindset would change entirely. Oh, he would feel differently after imprinting on Renesmee – little though I liked the idea of that situation – but it would be a while before that time came. For a year, Jacob would probably grow to hate the Cullens for his shape-shifting and all the mess that came with it, not to mention his future circumstances with Bella.

"I don't want good people hurt by a lot of fairytales," Jacob insisted, making me smile genuinely at him for the first time since learning who he was in the grocery store. I half-wished I could tell him everything now, if for no other reason than to help him adjust to all the pressure that would be heaped on him soon and forever after.

"It will take a whole lot more than you rebelling against your dad to make that stop," I pressed with exacting firmness. "Some day, in good time, maybe there will be something that brings us all together and let's us get to know each other better. For right now, however, we need to be patient and stop feeding the animosity they feel for us with unnecessary drama."

Gauging my face for a long moment, Jacob eventually nodded slowly, his eyes full of the maturity he had yet to fully embrace. "Okay. I'm going to plan on that 'some day' you speak of, Mireille."

Feeling as if I was missing something, I eyed the teen skeptically.

Jacob didn't disappoint, adding mischievously, "And you'll be the first one I drag into rebellion."

For once, I shared in the grin Jacob wore as I responded, "All right, Teen Spirit. I won't hold my breath."

Laughing out loud, Jacob tossed his hand up in wave and rushed to the cruiser yelling back, "See ya, Cullen!"

"It's Whitlock!" I shouted back laughingly as I watched the door slam and Charlie drive away in a hurry to get five Cinderellas home before midnight.

* * *


	5. Chapter 4: Alert

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Notes:  
** So sorry for the wait on this chapter. I have had a lot of crazy life situations recently and dealing with them took all my time. This is chock full, so enjoy!

**Song Inspiration:**  
_Edge of the World_ by PEAKS

**Previously** – While trick-or-treating, Tyler flirted and annoyed. Jacob, Quil, Embry, Leah, Seth ran into Mir and friends. Katie  & Jess gave Jacob party info. Seth & Edward bonded and Leah appreciated it. Mir chose Red Riding Hood costume for party. Cullens decorated Halloween party and Mir worried incessantly over Jacob crashing. Jasper tried to comfort Mir and Alice said she had yet to see Jacob arriving. Students arrived for party and Mir introduced Cullens/costumes and explained party activities. Jacob showed up at the party and brought friends. Mir realized Charlie helped Jacob. Seth bonded with Edward and Mir stopped trying to keep distances. Party was a success and Edward gave Seth _Back to the Future_ DVD. Leah promised to help keep it safe. Jacob  & Mir talked legends, stopping rumors, and rebellion. Charlie took the Quileute kids back to the reservation.

> **Chapter 4: Alert**

Following the smash hit Halloween party and our amazing slew of positive interactions with Jacob, Quil, Embry, Leah, and Seth, my mood could not have been any pleasanter. Nor could my outlook have been any happier.

On the first of November, I dressed in comfortable clothes and left my hair loose to eat breakfast while watching Esme work further with Rosalie on the new house she and Emmett would live in during the next move. Since that move was a few years away, given the circumstances, mother and daughter gladly took all the time they desired perfecting the designs.

Afterward I offered to help clean up whatever remained of the night's mess – not that the Cullens had left anything to clean. Esme had barely restrained a roll of her eyes at my suggestion, but laughed warmly all the while.

Still so early in the day, it took me a moment to determine what I wanted to do to wile away the last bit of the weekend. For no particular reason I could fathom, I ended up sitting with Alice and simply observing her in the fascinating process of sketching out her fashion ideas. The activity both kept my interest and allowed my mind to wander without being rude if I lost focus on the task at hand.

Only slowly did I realize such wandering thoughts were not the best place to bury my mind, particularly when my mind traveled to the Quileutes.

Along with shapeshifting Sam, Jared, and Paul, the entire tribal council probably believed the Cullens to be manipulating five of their own tribe for devious ends.

Ridiculous as the idea seemed in and of itself, it still grew and morphed in my head – every moment more of such thinking slowly brought me down from pleasant joy to utter doubt on our stability with the wolf pack and the tribal elders. Luckily for me, Edward and Emmett had companionably joined Jasper on his hunt that morning, albeit they intended only to spar with their brother once his hunt ended.

It made me happy to know Jasper had companionship on his hunts rather than a lonely stint simply to salve the difficulty his history offered him.

Regardless, nothing pleased me more than Edward and Jasper remaining absent of my mental and emotional convolutions when I returned so heavily to worrying over the Quileutes. I even left Alice sketching at her roll top desk so I could head back into my room on the third floor and essentially mope over perceived and imagined issues that could occur if Sam and his pack couldn't keep their paranoia to a minimum.

Charlie had already been arguing with Billy about the Cullens. Clearly nothing had been resolved, otherwise Charlie would never have needed to help Jacob and the others sneak out for our Halloween party. I considered the depths of alertness the pack would feel now. It was like a depressing little game I played, topping one uncomfortable situation out with another to determine the most dangerous or invasive plan the wolves could come up with.

Now that some of the tribe had seemingly 'broken the treaty' by crossing into Cullen territory, would the pack fear violence from our side? I couldn't dispel the idea, not when I knew Billy still distrusted the Cullens to such a level.

"Oh, Mir, stop that," Alice's tired sigh reached me from the doorway. Facing the door of my room reluctantly, I caught sight of Alice just long enough to see the concern far-reaching in her golden eyes before she appeared beside me on the bed.

"I know this is a terribly uncertain time," Alice went on more understandingly, reaching out to grip my shoulder, "but worrying over the unknown will only hurt you. I hate to see you so tangled in fear that you can't even be happy."

"If I could stop, Alice…" I began, but my mouth hung open with speechless confusion as I threw my hands helplessly into the air.

"Oh, Mir," Alice sighed more deeply and wrapped her thin arms around me. With my head tucked under her chin, I slipped clinging arms around the tiny vampire's waist and tried to simply immerse myself in her assurance until the Cullen brothers returned home.

Edward's chaotic eyes caught my guarded gaze in a heartbeat when he appeared in my room a few hours later, those deep tawny orbs full of so many emotions I didn't dare attempt to name them all. The intervening time since Alice's embrace had only left my thoughts to wander deeper into disheartening expectations mixed with the same nagging little worries of my life purpose that I had been incapable of erasing.

Heaving a deep breath while attuned to my well-guarded mind, Edward took visibly measured steps to reach his sister and me on the bed and crouched before us, prepared to speak yet not appearing to know what needed saying.

Moments passed like hours until Edward finally stopped hoping for speech. Instead, the bronze-haired vampire simply sat on the floor beside the bed and slipped a hand over top of mine in wordless comfort. The atmosphere reeked of uncertainty for a long while afterward.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jasper of all people determinedly entered the room after a while and stepped over to take my emotional chaos quite literally in hand.

"Come on, Mireille," Jasper insisted firmly, pressing on the hand he had stolen from Edward's supportive grip. "Stop wallowing and let's get you to self-defense."

Stunned and unable to withdraw from the other, more stable emotions Jasper pressed through the touch on my skin, I stood up beside him and allowed him to lead me to the front door while Edward rushed away and then followed us with my gym bag in hand.

On our silent drive to the gym, Jasper never let go of my hand for even one second. Classical music played on the radio, enhancing the stubborn, invincible quietude we enacted until we finally arrived in Olympia.

Sensitive to the odd aura surrounding Jasper and me, Dan took a cautious approach to my lessons. It was not without due cause and I appreciated his understanding as training began that morning.

By the end of the session, the long workout and a small round with the punching bag eased much of my obvious paranoia and wondering fears of the future. As it always had, self-defense pushed me out of my deep internal pensiveness and forward into a measure of acceptance and determination to last the day, if not longer.

"You're emotions have vastly improved," Jasper commented on the way home, at last able to break the silence.

"There's just something about training," I admitted, words nearly foreign after so much quiet that morning and afternoon.

"I can understand that," Jasper said, nodding once. "Sparring does the same for me."

"Jasper, why am I so paranoid about this?" I asked quietly of the former soldier, frowning towards the rushing green view outside my window.

"You don't do well with the unexpected," Jasper informed me plainly. "You get into a routine or you plan the day ahead and you like to stay on that expected path. Alice feels the same – she hates surprises unless they're very positive, as you well know. However, she's learned to face the unexpected with a much calmer approach."

"How long did it take her to learn to do it?" I wondered, heaving a sigh and leaning back against the seat.

"Oh, it took her _years_ to stop panicking," Jasper chuckled, then snickered slightly at my frustrated groan. "Don't feel too badly, Mir. You can't imagine how many times I helped Alice the same way I helped you today. You'll improve."

"Not soon enough," I grumbled, crossing arms in petulant disquiet that sent Jasper into further snickering.

Except for my brotherly gym companion, the Cullens somewhat walked on eggshells around me the rest of the evening. Even Edward followed suit, what with my thoughts locked away from him so solidly, leaving Jasper to roll his eyes mildly and simply return to whatever activity he had earlier been involved in.

Carlisle arrived from work to just such an atmosphere, stopping in an instant to stare with concentrated eyes at the slightly tense vampires around him, mixed with one worrying human and one remarkably unaffected empath.

Pursing his lips in pensive consideration, Carlisle finally stepped further through the main floor, stopping knowingly at the sofa where Edward and Esme ensconced me with furrowed brows.

"At it again, are we, Mireille?" Carlisle wondered with contrary amusement, tilting his pale golden head smartly.

Eyeing the doctor coolly, I refused him an answer and scoffed as I turned away rather snottily.

Sighing in further humor, Carlisle merely shook his head and came to sit before me on the coffee table. Even when irritated by the Cullen patriarch – which was impossibly rare, as a general rule – I couldn't bring myself to refuse the hands Carlisle extended to me.

"Come with me," the gentle vampire insisted kindly, tugging me to my reluctant feet with ease.

Nobody questioned as Carlisle walked me up to the third floor, dropping his medical bag in his and Esme's room and changing into casual clothes all under thirty seconds before finally leading me to my own space and right to the desk area.

"Don't you have homework left to complete?" the compassionate vampire inquired first, guiding me into my office chair with gentle hands and immediately taking the seat Edward usually occupied.

"I suppose," I shrugged more carelessly than I felt. All my homework had been finished after the Halloween party, a product of my good cheer and vibrant energy after the excellent night of fun. Only one class subject remained to complete work for. As it was trigonometry, even on a good day I felt quite reluctant to engage the challenging subject willingly.

Edward had tried a few times to help me on the problem sets Mr. Varner assigned in our shared class, but my most common Cullen companion still had quite a hard time finding the patience to truly assist me in mathematical work. It hardly encouraged him when I so often seemed to have my thoughts partially occluded from his sight. Luckily, Edward had learned to simply step back when he found me too slow to comprehend or too fraught with tension to clearly understand a concept. At those panicked last moments when I feared failing a trigonometry test or bombing a homework assignment, Esme stepped in and gave me clear, patient instructions that eventually helped me through the work.

"Is it your trigonometry class?" Carlisle assumed correctly, reading me all too well – as had become both his talent and his habit since my arrival in Forks.

"Yes," I confessed with a reluctant sigh, moving to grasp the offending math textbook and my notebook to open up the pages I had tried and failed to conquer the previous night. "I don't get it. It always confuses me and I just don't know why…"

Silent moments passed while Carlisle examined the many-times scribbled and erased pages of my notebook and the problem set in the textbook. The blond-haired vampire studied the problems therein as deeply as he would study a patient's medical record before diagnosing their ailment. Brows furrowed, lips pursed, index finger trailing each line in the textbook to make sure every word made sense.

Waiting so nervously – without knowing why – left me tense and awkward once Carlisle put away the work at last and slid the books back onto the desk. Turning to face me with thoughtful golden eyes, Carlisle seemed to hesitate before he spoke, almost afraid to confront the situation or so it seemed to me.

"Mireille," the doctor began, breathing deep. "I can hardly believe there's any real difficulty in this work for you. Not after the times we all have watched you breeze through it. Edward, in particular, has often witnessed your mind working at top speed to calculate an algebra equation or dissect a complex word problem. Those times when you seem to not focus on _having_ trouble with mathematics, are often the times you do your best work within that precise field. Why is it that math troubles you, do you think?"

Asking 'why' I had trouble with math subjects felt counterintuitive in some ways, yet I thought I knew what Carlisle meant. Yet the real issue was not so much knowing what he meant, so much as finding a reasonable answer to explain myself.

"I don't know," I shrugged rather than answer Carlisle's question, turning to look back down at the homework on the desk surface.

Releasing a vaguely tired sigh, Carlisle reached out for the textbook and notebook again instead of trying to force a real answer.

"Why don't I help you?"

Catching and holding Carlisle Cullen's warm, kind features with tentative blue eyes, I bit my lip only a millisecond before answering, "All right."

'Help' sounded almost cheap in comparison to the way Carlisle walked me through each and every step of the mathematical process in every single trigonometry problem I had. Patience and wisdom became Carlisle in the midst of teaching and encouraging my improvement.

When I worked with Esme, or even Edward, they made me see the error in a single step – or at least tried to. Carlisle, on the other hand, took me back to the roots of my own problem-solving methods to see the depths of my missteps. The Cullen patriarch led me through the foundation of my math skills and processes, guiding every move until I understood the totality of what I did wrong and how to correct it going forward.

Recalling my seemingly lifelong struggle with math, if only in the process of fixing it, brought to mind all the moments I spent trying to gain understanding from a father who never truly wanted to help – the man who only gave his so-called assistance because it would tarnish his image if I failed a class. Nearly every night after school sitting at the desk in my room and waiting out a storm of my father's shouting because I couldn't grasp a concept on my assignments…

Despite my powerful resolution to fully embrace the persona of Mireille Whitlock, letting go of my parents' loveless attitudes and selfish actions, I realized I hadn't healed as completely as I had hoped that summer. Caught up in that morbid and unhappy realization, I compared the shadows of my old life with my memories of the new, coming up so out of balance it could hardly be described in words.

Amazed eyes followed Carlisle's every word and gesture as he explained the last of my homework with deep, abiding concentration and care.

Knowing how much I had come to mean to the Cullens by their own admission, especially their two loving parents, I understood that this was but one of many ways in which Carlisle showed me his great love and compassion. This was one small way he showed me my place in his heart and just how vastly different a father he was from Todd Holden. Not that I had never seen that difference, but the comparable circumstances shed light on a fact I never wholly acknowledged before in such high contrast.

Abandoning all care for the mathematical problem at hand, I tossed my arms around Carlisle's neck and hugged him tightly, tears escaping silently from the confines of my eyelids.

"Mir, whatever is the matter?" Carlisle asked, startled and concerned as he embraced me without a thought, prompting me when I failed to answer, "Sweetheart, please tell me what's wrong."

"I'm sorry," I replied in wobbly tones, sniffing quietly though I didn't let go of his stone neck. "I couldn't help thinking of my… of Todd… The anger he felt when I didn't understand my work; he would be angry after the very first mistake. After the third, he started shouting at me. He hated helping me in the first place, but my m—Amy would push him because she was too busy to do it herself. And the only way she could convince him was because the neighbor's kid was a source of competition and if I failed a class, they would look bad."

As was my way, I babbled without stopping for breath, spilling every thought in my head and finally gasping for a breath through the tears and emotion.

Sharp air rushed from Carlisle's nostrils like the wind of a storm, leaving him to breathe more deeply in an attempt to calm the anger he surely felt.

"You deserved better," the doctor instructed me without a single doubt, no longer merely hugging me, but tightly squeezing me in warm comfort for a long while afterward.  
Esme checked on us several times, always offering an embrace or a kiss to the forehead out of a helpless need to care for me. Her mothering warmth only added to the parental connection I always had to Carlisle and Esme.

Emotions played on my heart all that night, latching on with tenacious fingers and keeping me restlessly awake when I should have been sleeping. It reached such a point that I could hear Edward's quiet sigh from the alcove that we rarely closed, a brief blip before the vampire himself appeared at my side, sheet music in hand and the bedside light turned on.

"I realized I never gave you this," Edward confessed softly, offering up the pages to my hands.

Beethoven's moody, emotional 'Moonlight Sonata' sat in my hands, not a printed copy, but a piece Edward had painstakingly recreated by hand. It may only have taken him seconds with his speed and perfect balance, but the gesture was sweet and thougthful.

"I'll purchase a true copy of it," Edward promised with a slight smile, "but until it arrives, you can use this."

' _Thank you_ ,' I offered from my thoughts; I was too touched to speak aloud. As if I would ever want a carbon paper copy when I could utilize music written in Edward's own hand…

A chuckle was Edward's only reply and he quickly helped me up so he could carry me downstairs to the piano as I wished.

I may only have been able to play a little bit from my new sheet music before becoming drowsy, but the very experience of sitting at the baby grand with Edward so casually, wearing a pair of pajamas, and learning from sheet music he had personally written up for me to use gave such a sense of peace I could hardly comprehend it.

Despite gaining only a few hours of sleep, on Monday morning I woke with fresh life and hope. Even the tribe's possible backlash didn't incite nearly the level of fear it had the previous day.

Katie and Jessica, however, seemed to do their level best to uproot my peace with teasing and questions about Jacob Black, their giggle fits lasting well into the week, seriously hindering the joy I obtained whenever Edward spent the evening after homework helping me learn 'Moonlight Sonata' at the baby grand.

Fourth-period Spanish was the ideal place to have gossipy chats, as Jessica and Katie had both taken grateful monopoly of since we started junior year. Jessica had instantly partnered with me back in September, thankfully leaving Eric to find someone else to pair up with. The thankless part of it all was that Katie paired up with Eric, the two seated directly behind Jessica and me. Granted, Eric didn't make eyes at me anymore, but he was nonetheless annoying most days.

"Jacob was really cute, you know, Ray," Katie giggled a bit as we waited for class to start on Friday, always the first to instigate teasing among our circle of friends.

"Did you really meet him in the grocery store?" Jessica attempted to verify, leaning away from our workbook assignment to ask the question with wide eyes.

"I bought party supplies and he happened to bump into me," I sighed, frustrated by the repetitive questioning I faced every day since the party. "You know that. I told you already."

"We just forgot," Katie shrugged, but her humored brown eyes gave her away.

Mostly, Jessica and Katie repeated questions in some vague hope I would 'slip up' and admit I was secretly dating the Quileute boy or some such nonsense. Annoyed, I outright refused to answer any more of their questions that day. While this resolution unfortunately left the two girls giggling, at least it stopped them asking again. A brief reprieve until I saw them again the following Monday, but at least it was something.

After school, I gladly headed to self-defense with Jasper and allowed the defense training to blow off all the steam I had built up that week, something Daniel once again noticed with ease. Most of the time he didn't ask too much into my personal issues. I rarely allowed them to interfere with my progress, a feat which Daniel often commented on with pride. Today was no different.

"If I hadn't… known you… for almost… a year…" Dan explained between hits and dodges, finally ducking to the left and spinning around to face me before I could plant a well-placed arm in his head space. "Nice move."

"Thanks," I retorted more than actually thanked him, waiting for the fallout of his remarks and my swing. "You were saying?"

Settling into a stance once more, Daniel shrugged lightly and finished his thought, "If I hadn't known you this long, I wouldn't even know you were distracted right now. You've built up an amazing armor in less than a year. That doesn't even take into account your actual technique. You could take down an attacker a lot faster and more efficiently these days."

I had never quite learned how to take a compliment, no matter how confident I became in myself. Esme often liked to tell me it was simply natural modesty, which wasn't the same thing as insecurity. While I generally agreed about her description of modesty versus insecurity, I often wondered how true it was in my particular circumstance.

"It's very intensive training," I shrugged in return to Daniel's praise.

"Doesn't change the fact that you've really raised the bar on what you're capable of," Dan commented exasperatedly. "Stop belittling your own progress, Ray."

It never failed to surprise me when Daniel used my school nickname, if only because he rarely did. 'Mireille' was too long in quick training instruction and I didn't feel up to sharing the Cullens' nickname for me, so eventually I suggested 'Ray' might be easier. As professional as Daniel was, nicknames didn't seem to suit him really. Yet at the same time, it fit our working relationship well after what I had been through and how Daniel related to that on a personal level because of his sister.

I never did respond to Daniel's comment and the man shook his head resignedly, returning wordlessly to our training.

Back at the house later that night, while completing homework with Edward, I considered Daniel's praise anew with growing joy and felt like the next week might not be so bad.

In the midst of my contemplation, a ringing caught me completely off guard.

My cell phone ringing wasn't normally cause for too much concern. A sleepover invitation from Angela, a chat with Jessica about Conner and Mike yet again, perhaps even a giggling fit from Katie about the latter… but it wasn't Angela, Jessica, or Katie. It wasn't even one of the boys from school on a very last minute birthday party invitation prompted by pushy parents.

"Hello?" I answered confusedly to the unknown caller, fully prepared to hang up without another word. Edward smirked at my decision, but said nothing.

"Mireille?"

A weary groan escaped me before I could stop it, leading Jacob Black to laugh delightedly. Edward was no help, chortling unsympathetically to my plight.

"Yeah, that sounds like you," the teenager on the phone remarked happily.

"How did you get my phone number?" I demanded of the Quileute boy, now irritated.

"A friend," was Jacob's simple answer and I growled – actually _growled_ – at him through the phone for it. A stupendous bark of laughter flew from Edward's throat when he heard me.

"If Charlie gave you my number, he had no right—!" I snapped back, but was interrupted.

"Oh, he didn't give it," Jacob responded nonchalantly. I could almost _see_ him shrugging. "Your friend Katie Marshall did."

"Seriously!" I nearly shrieked in return. Oh, that girl and I were _done_ …

Edward continued laughing beside me and I shushed him with a useless glare that only made his eyes roll towards the ceiling.

"Ouch," Jacob went on, probably wincing by the sound of it, but I didn't care. "Yeah, well… as much as you want to keep this whole friendship thing under cover until some point far in the future, I don't. My dad's never been so annoying about those stupid legends before. I swear, he doesn't even seem to know you're perfectly human. Anyone could see that."

"How many times do I have to tell you that outright rebellion isn't going to solve anything?" I repeated frustratedly.

"I'm not talking about rebellion!" Jacob exclaimed, piqued himself by my assumption. "Sheesh, I thought we were cool after the party?"

"If not rebellion, then what are you calling for?" I interjected, releasing a long-suffering sigh over the latter question the boy asked.

"An invitation," Jacob answered more calmly, audibly taking a breath. "We're having a bonfire tomorrow night. Come at seven-thirty. Just be a friend and have fun. What do you think about that?"

"I think you're crazy!" I charged, nearly smacking a hand to my forehead before Edward caught my fingers mere centimeters away from their target.

"You're human, right?" Jacob verified sardonically, not even understanding the irony of him asking such a question.

"Yes, so?"

"And you said yourself you're not a Cullen, you're a Whitlock, right?" Jacob clarified even further, stepping into cautionary territory.

"Technically," I answered with extreme reluctance.

"So you're not breaking any dumb imaginary treaty by coming here, are you?" the fourteen-year-old concluded triumphantly.

"That depends on your point of view," I chided the boy agitatedly.

"Yeah, whatever," Jacob veritably waved me off in his tone of voice alone and added, "Charlie's going to be there, you know. He wouldn't let anybody bother you with stupid junk like that."

Being disturbed at the bonfire – on the Quileutes' own land, at that – wasn't even my biggest issue. Who knew if the three current wolves would come over to the Cullens' house in some weird idea of the treaty now being broken twice, once on both sides?

Barely did I catch Edward rolling his eyes than did I glare even more fiercely at him.

"Just think about it," Jacob insisted, thankfully before Edward and I could get into an argument on the side. "If you don't show up with Charlie tomorrow, no hard feelings and I'll try you again next time. Okay?"

"Right. Fine."

Laughing again at the foul mood he always seemed to put me in, Jacob offered one parting shot, "Talk to you later, Little Cougar."

At that, Edward burst into raucous laughter that brought an echoing laugh from Jacob before I hung up the phone without another word to the annoying Quileute boy.

"You _would_ laugh at that, wouldn't you?" I groused at Edward, tossing a pencil at his head that he neatly caught even as his laughter wound down to a chuckle. "You and your stupid mountain lions."

"You have to admit that was amusing," Edward pressed, gently prodding my side with the eraser end of the pencil I had just tossed at him. To add insult to injury, the bronze-haired fool rushed away and back, only to wave a familiar figure in my face – the stuffed cougar he bought me in Chicago.

"No, I don't," I countered, still irritated, swatting at the plush animal so strongly that Edward whipped it out of my grasp and set it on the desk surface with gentle care.

"I'll tell you what," Edward considered thoughtfully after a minute. "If you use your gift to determine whether you should attend the bonfire, then I'll never use that name on you."

Eyeing the nuisance of a vampire with distaste for even trying such a move, I refused him an answer.

"Come on, Little Cougar," Edward grinned wolfishly, my own description of his expression a pun so horrible it stung my heart just to think it.

"Do we have a deal?" Edward pressed as he listened closely to my thoughts – unblocked for a change.

"Fine," I repeated my earlier reply to Jacob, immediately and begrudgingly settling into the familiar groove of my intuitive ability and the questions which prompted it.

Should I go to the bonfire on the reservation? Drive down in the cruiser with Charlie, down past the treaty line and into Quileute territory, to the Blacks' house perhaps, and then down to La Push Beach where a large fire would burn into the night. Jacob would try to drag me around with Quil and Embry, we might meet up with Leah or Seth at some point, the pack and the council would stay on alert as they observed my presence, and Charlie would keep an eye on me as per Carlisle and Esme's concerned request…

Gasping in shock, I opened my unwittingly closed eyes and stared across the desk to the pale gray wall as the answer hit me in a swift burst of insight.

"You're supposed to go," Edward interpreted smugly – and unfortunately accurately.

"I… Yes, but… Why?" I simply couldn't imagine the reasoning behind such a circumstance.

"Don't you see?" Edward wondered with a half-laugh. "You always bring people together – or at least around to a better point of view. That charisma and sincerity of yours has a strong impact on others. This might be a chance to calm the rages of the wolves' prejudice and mistrust before we ever reach the point of anyone being turned. Even if they don't seem to trust you or your view of us, you never know how it can impact them in a charged moment down the road."

"How on God's green earth did _you_ become the positive one?" I demanded of my bronze-haired companion disbelievingly. "Suddenly you're an optimist and I'm a cynic!"

Shrugging helplessly, Edward answered practically, "I suppose you gave so much hope to us all – myself in particular – that you left little for yourself."

Struck by that thought and the implications of how much I gave up of myself, I frowned more darkly than Edward probably intended to encourage.

"Cheer up, Mireille!" Edward laughed more lightly than before, reaching over to grasp my hand in consolation. "I'll give back as much hope as you've given me. Well, I'll try, at any rate. You just need to accept it now. Believe me, I understand how difficult that is. It's taken me a full year in your presence to actually accept it, even if only partially."

"Amazing," I remarked quietly, shaking my head as I gazed over Edward's smiling face with fresh eyes. "You look even better when you think positively."

"I could say the same to you," Edward popped back with ease, tapping my hand fondly and turning back to his homework.

Much as I battled myself on the subject of Jacob's bonfire invitation, I could hardly deny my intuition after how much it had helped me in the past. The entire family gathered to discuss the matter, as per usual, but in the end my gift still ruled the roost and no one disagreed with my going. Rosalie visibly considered it and struggled with the wolves' ongoing presence in our lives, but made no untoward suggestion of avoiding the bonfire.

That was why I found myself in the passenger seat of the cruiser heading to La Push on Saturday evening, just one week after my Halloween party.

"I still say your family should have come with you," Charlie repeated for the third time since leaving the Cullens' driveway. "At least Carlisle, if no one else."

"Carlisle told you exactly why they aren't coming with me," I also repeated myself, forcing calm over myself that I most definitely didn't feel while I recalled the last moments I had spent at the Cullens' home.

"Stay close to Charlie," Carlisle had told me pleadingly, the last to hug me goodbye.

Despite the great optimism Edward and I had seemed to trade between us, the family still held a deeply-repressed fear that something could happen without my presence as a buffer in the event of the wolves confronting the Cullens that night. Such worries led to atypical farewell embraces between every member of the family and me before I walked out to the cruiser. Earlier in the day, Esme had taken too long fussing over my blue and white striped sweater for lint that wasn't there and Alice eyed my dark teal jeans five times more often than normal to make sure they were 'the right fashion' for the occasion.

The Cullens even intended to cancel their standard hunting trip, wanting to be available in case I needed them. If things went well, they would hunt in threes upon my return, just to be sure of security and to make sure I wasn't alone at the house while I slept.

I had never prayed so fervently for anything as I prayed for the Cullens' safety in my absence, and my own safety in the absence of my vampire protectors. Just because my gift pushed me to attend the bonfire didn't mean other, less positive things couldn't happen in conjunction with that scenario.

"Well, I still don't like it," Charlie grumbled, bringing my mind back to the present. The police chief's words finally seemed to hold a measure of acceptance for the way things were at the present time.

"For the record, Charlie, neither do I," I ended the discussion topic rather uneasily, "but intentionally violating the tribal council's parameters won't make anything better. If anything, it'll just create unnecessary drama and tension between my family and the Quileutes. But avoiding friendships because of that situation also creates problems of its own."

Charlie heaved a rough sigh, comprehending my words, but certainly not liking them one bit.

However, frustration didn't stop Charlie from commenting, "You're a lot like Carlisle, you know that?"

"So I've been told," I answered ruefully, lips quirking into a tiny smile as we finally pulled to a stop in front of a small red house I could hardly mistake.

"I'm going to park here at Billy's place and we'll all walk down," Charlie explained, cutting the motor and reaching for his door as he added, "You better call and let Carlisle know you're here."

"Already on it," I countered instantly, fingers completing the last two digits of Carlisle's phone number.

"I should have known better," Charlie muttered with a wry shake of his head and stood from the car, waiting outside the driver's side door for me to finish my phone call.

"Mireille?" Carlisle answered the call immediately, stress lining his gentle voice.

"We're at the Blacks' house and we're all going to walk to the bonfire," I informed him, reluctantly grasping the door handle.

"Be safe and alert," Carlisle instructed me, stress only increasing as we approached the stretch of time I would be out of the family's 'sights' as it were. If the wolves were indeed at the bonfire, Alice obviously wouldn't be able to see me. The tiny vampire had tried practicing to see 'around' things over the summer, but without an actual blocking presence working in tandem with her, Alice's attempts were comparable to trying to hold smoke.

I wondered briefly if Edward would sit at some place near Quileute territory to hear everyone's thoughts, as close to the beach as he could be without crossing that all-important treaty line, but shook the thought away in an instant. Edward probably wouldn't be able to wait close enough to hear anyone's thoughts down at the shore. Besides, even overprotective Edward wouldn't be that foolhardy.

"I will be," I promised fondly for Carlisle's familiar care and concern. "I already miss everyone."

In the wake of other voices calling out from the background, Carlisle half laughed, "We all miss you, too."

Neither side wanted to hang up, to give in to the moment and what my gift told me was necessary.

It took Jacob's appearance at the passenger door for me to sigh and emit the hated words, "I have to go."

"I know," was all Carlisle said, a tiny sigh escaping him as well. The good doctor had to hang up before I could actually put away the phone and leave the car.

Uncharacteristically gentlemanly from what I knew of him, Jacob opened and held the door for me. Rather than a witty, confident jibe of some kind, the first words from the teen's mouth were a warning.

"Dad had a fit about you being here," Jacob told me, his young face transformed with a scowl of epic proportions while Charlie walked into the Blacks' home. "So did the Tribal Council. I'm sorry, I didn't really think they'd make such a big deal."

"I already expected it," I offered with unbelievable calm. Just to be absolutely sure, I checked with my ability one more time before I stepped onto the ground outside the cruiser, continuing to speak with Jacob as I did so. "I'm sticking close to Charlie tonight. He made a promise to Carlisle that I'd be with him the whole time. And he's not even going to have a Rainier. Just to be sure he's completely on point, without fail."

There was a little difficulty balancing speech and my gift, but I managed well enough until I found the intuition I needed – nothing had changed. I was still meant to attend the bonfire. Heaven only knew why, but I had to hold onto Edward's faith that it was all meant to serve a greater purpose down the line.

Jacob's scowl broke enough to emit a small laugh over my explanations. "That's one way to skin a cat, I guess."

Allowing the memory of Edward's hope to bolster me, I took one deep breath before placing my navy booted feet firmly on the ground outside.

"Just don't call me 'little cougar' again," I smarted as I stood.

Full laughter belted from Jacob's throat, the reminder of his tease on the phone all too easy to remember and at last breaking him from the mold of upset he had been in.

"I'm glad I invited you," Jacob concluded with fresh cheer, leading me up to the modest red house. Just the brief walk from the dirt driveway to the front door made me glad for the dark emerald hooded coat I wore for warmth against the increasingly chilled air.

Charlie stepped through the door before Jacob could reach for it, closing it behind him and looking to the fourteen-year-old beside me with a demanding expression.

"Dad already went down to the beach," Jacob confessed awkwardly to stone-faced Charlie.

The chief of police closed his eyes a moment, no doubt trying to enforce patience and calm he didn't actually feel.

"Let's get walking then," Charlie ordered more sternly than necessarily warranted, but I didn't say anything to him about it. I understood his feelings perfectly.

The forested walk down to First Beach was quiet, only sometimes filled with inconsequential chatter between Jacob and me. Charlie continued to stew silently and I hated to think what words he might expel when he finally saw his best friend in person.

Twelve people had already settled around the bonfire by the time we arrived, heads of silky dark hair turning to stare as our trio stepped up to plate. It took no difficulty to recognize Billy Black sitting in his wheelchair between a much older man with solid gray hair and a couple who looked to be about Billy's age. Old Quil, Harry, and Sue? I wondered absently at their identities.

Also easy to identify were three tall, heavily-muscled young men glaring in my direction. One of them, paired arm-in-arm to a much shorter young woman with blatant facial scars, didn't so much glare as gaze with narrowed, suspicious eyes. Sam and Emily, then. Stuck between who of the other two men was Paul and who was Jared, I decided the angriest glare belonged to the former. His temper was rather well-known, after all.

Of the gathered individuals, only four had anything close to pleasant faces. Embry, Quil, Leah, and Seth smiled slightly at me, obviously affected by the mood around us, but not bending completely under its weight. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so, Leah offered the largest smile and therefore the greatest resistance to the judgment of her peers.

Our pleasant mood – or whatever was left of it by that point – blew away as swiftly as it had come upon us, the stagnant, angry atmosphere overwhelming in its intensity.

"Um… I'm just going to, uh, show—" Jacob tried to find us an escape, but Billy Black cut right across his son.

"You shouldn't have come here," Billy Black informed me commandingly in the rich voice I had read about in the books. Billy rolled across the ground to finally stop within three feet of me, either sizing me up or considering whether I could be convinced of the Cullens' monstrous natures.

Staring at the agitated man in amazement for all of ten seconds, I wondered how on earth he had ever found a woman willing to date him, let alone start a family with him. I knew there was good in the father of three, but such downright rudeness had no place when speaking to a girl who was only supposedly sixteen years old. My temper, a skyrocket as Charlie had once described it, set to boil before I could blink.

Charlie glared at Billy ever more fiercely, but he also eyed me with knowing expectation and I knew he was all too happy for me to lose my temper this time.

"There isn't a _single_ good reason for your prejudice against me," I berated Jacob's father – and the crowd in general – with impossible firmness, blue eyes narrowed the same as Billy's black orbs. "I have done nothing against you, your family, your tribe, or anyone else. Nor has my family."

"Family?" The one I had named as Paul repeated mockingly, but I cut across him as swiftly as Billy cut across Jacob a moment prior.

"Yes, family!" I stormed in a voice of steel I almost didn't recognize from myself. The power in my tone took even me by surprise, but I didn't let it show. "They are not monsters! They are people who feel and think the same as anyone else. They love me, take care of me, and support me. My _family_ has done nothing to deserve the slander you and your council have labeled them with! Your words are _lies_."

In the depth of my emotion for the Cullens and the challenging lives they led so as to protect human life and choose the right thing, I stood rigid staring down at Billy Black's stunned face and felt as tall as the truth I knew within my soul.

Time and speechlessness drew our encounter into long moments of perilous silence. Charlie and Jacob visibly withheld their amusement and everyone in the gathering stared at me as though I had come from another planet.

Jacob took the lead after much too long a period of disquiet, tugging me around the fire and those crowded around it. Every step led us further away from the stiff scene –– and closer to a table laden with food and drink. Quil, Embry, and Leah edged along the ground after us and Charlie, chuckling under his breath, followed us to the table with a deeper sense of ease in his posture. Seth clearly wanted to joins us, but Harry had firm words for him and I watched the boy deflate unhappily.

"Hey, Mireille," Embry greeted me with a small grin, offering me a plate. "Nice comeback."

"Wish I could do the same sometimes," Quil grumbled under his breath, making me snort.

"You sure do have a way with words," Leah offered more lightly than I expected, wordlessly pointing out plasticware to Charlie's hovering hands. Surprised by the ease of their interaction, I had to remind myself that Leah's father was Charlie's close friend the same as Billy.

"That's what happens when people defame my family," I retorted bluntly, leading Quil, Embry, and Jacob to quietly laugh.

No more was said on the subject of my unwelcome presence or that of my absent relatives. While at first it became a little uncomfortable to avoid the lingering effects of my contentious words and actually enjoy a little of the bonfire, my four young Quileute 'friends' – for I could call them nothing else after their public support of me – worked hard to involve me in their chatter of the inane and common events I used to admire so much when first getting to know the Cullens. I admired the normal lives of Jacob's future pack no less, finding my shield of anxiety and caution gradually loosening as they unintentionally (or, in some cases, very much intentionally) made me laugh or smile over a typical teenage story from the near past.

Leah pointed out every adult at the bonfire for me, starting with her parents across the way, but when it came to Sam, Emily, and the other two shapeshifters, Leah didn't even look in their direction. It was then left to Jacob to explain the latter group, confirming my suspicions of who was who.

My anxieties never fully left, of course, and often I looked in the three current wolves' direction to ascertain they had not left the event for a confrontation with my vampire friends. Happy as I was that they never did, every time I noticed their keen gaze focused in my direction, it brought back a stronger sense of nervousness than before. Surely Sam, Jared, and Paul had memorized every pale freckle on my face only halfway through the night. Faced with an irrepressible sensation of concern, I couldn't shake a bad feeling they were considering some underhanded idea.

At their strongest, my discomfited feelings made me double-check Charlie's location. Despite the earlier scene and a quiet argument afterward, Billy, Sue, and Harry had taken to talking with Charlie fairly congenially once the apparent shock wore off. Yet Charlie kept a blatant eye on wherever I was, which didn't change much the entire evening, and the police chief kept his word to avoid even a single beer while I stood under his temporary guardianship. All seemed set decently, Jacob engaging in horseplay with Quil and Embry nearby while Leah spent indulgent time with Seth and her parents.

That was the chosen moment Emily Young approached with great hesitation. Having watched from my peripheral vision as the scarred young woman spoke with Old Quil and Sam, I knew it was likely coming, but it put me on edge just as a matter of course.

Before Emily could even open her mouth to speak, I took charge of the situation with a deep sense of understanding.

"You must be the one elected to prove to me that my family is 'different' and dangerous," I prompted frankly, a cold edge to my tone the other woman could hardly miss. "I like to think it's because the tribe cares about human life rather than because they feel a superiority that needs to be assuaged, but it's impossibly difficult to tell."

Startled by the abrupt assumptions, Emily blinked a long moment. Up close, Emily's scars stood out ever more clearly, even if they were far from new. Despite her shock, in the end Emily decided to follow through with her task regardless.

"It's just curious that you're so defensive of your… adopted family…" Emily spoke at last, audibly searching for exactly the right words to sway me from the vampires I lived with. Considering I was supposed to be a sixteen-year-old without a relation in the world outside the Cullens, I found the attempt very concerning. "You haven't been with them very long, have you?"

"Oh, no, not long at all," I replied sarcastically. "Only fifteen months."

Taken aback by the intensity of my continued defense, Emily frowned and reiterated, "It's just surprising you're so protective of them."

"It's not surprising at all!" I snapped, returning to the strength of my earlier arguments in a heartbeat.

Mind-boggling to an average human perspective, everything that had happened with the Cullens during those fifteen months struck me as freshly as if it happened yesterday. My initial terrified sprint through the trees and getting to know the Cullens in those first complicated days, Vanessa's abusive targeting and the unexpected friendships I'd built with Jessica and Angela, choosing to learn self-defense and growing in confidence, the second attack and losing sight of myself, watching the Cullens fall apart right along with me and helping them heal, finally defeating Vanessa and choosing to be turned if necessary, and the road trip full of emotion and connection that highlighted summer vacation.

Faced with the dismal trouble of battling the hard-headed pack and tribal council over the safety and reputation of my beloved vampires, I quickly learned that the significance and desirability of those few precious moments of friendship with Jacob, Quil, Embry, Leah, and Seth faded extensively.

Outright disagreements and mistrust were one thing, but this attempt at subtle manipulation tainted the value of the tribe's 'helpfulness' and empowered every word that escaped my lips.

"I'll repeat the truth for you," I spoke anew before Emily could carry on with her contriving task. By that point, everyone present at the bonfire had turned to pay direct, rich attention to our confrontation. "The Cullen family is honorable and self-sacrificing – each and every member. I know their histories. I know their strengths and weaknesses. They share their secrets with me and keep my secrets close to their chest. They have never and will never hurt me. Heart, mind, body, and soul, I trust Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Edward. Trust is absolute and unbreakable between each and every one of us. You will never take that away with your trumped up accusations built on narrow-minded hatred."

Fired up and disgusted, I couldn't stand to remain in that oppressive atmosphere any longer and stood immediately from my chair.

"You shouldn't have invited me, Jacob," I told the teen for his blatant friendship despite my own intuition that it was meant to happen. Seeing the boy's upset over the way things ended, I added more gently, "It was kind of you. Your intentions were good and it means a lot to me… But right now, this isn't a place I feel comfortable."

"I get it," Jacob murmured, tossing an angry look at his father, Old Quil, and of course Emily, who had returned to Sam's side looking troubled, but unapologetic.

No one apologized and I didn't expect it, but Jacob seemed to and I felt badly for him. He couldn't understand their bias. Not yet. As much as I hoped he never would, I worried that being kept in the dark about the Cullens being vampires would eventually backfire on us. Yet I couldn't do anything about it. Telling him the truth was tantamount to death if the Volturi ever became involved in our lives. Unable to discount the possibility, even with the books as our guide, I knew I had to keep my silence.

"Bye, Jacob," I offered and the youth nodded. Quil and Embry waved to me, a gesture I couldn't help but return.

Leah stared at Emily and Sam with dark eyes, but after a moment her eyes refocused and she offered me a twisted little smile. "It was nice while it lasted, Mireille."

"Thanks," I returned ruefully, smiling a bit sadly in return and casting blue eyes to Forks' chief of police. "Charlie?"

"Ready to go?" the chief of police verified, already moving to stand. In his eyes I saw only understanding, not a hint of frustration or disappointment for having to leave his friends' presences.

"Yes, please," I reiterated firmly.

"Let's head out, then," Charlie nodded once, offering an arm to guide me back the way we came.

A long silent walk ended in the cruiser back at Billy Black's house, where the chief finally felt comfortable speaking.

"I'm sorry, kiddo," Charlie sighed, frustrated, and turned the key. "I didn't know they'd do something that cruel. Having their ignorant opinions is one thing, but trying to break you away from your family is completely different."

"It's okay, Charlie," I assured him understandingly. "You couldn't have known how far they would go."

"I still feel responsible," Charlie rebutted, refusing to accept a reprieve. "You're under my wing right now."

Emitting a tiny, restrained sigh over that stubborn pride that Bella would undoubtedly share with her father when we all met her in a few months time, I allowed the topic to fall away into the quiet drive back to town.

* * *


	6. Chapter 5: Affection

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Notes:  
** This is pretty much a ton of shameless fluff and bonding, mixed with some glorious, romantic family history. Also, there are dozens of pictures on the blog to peruse. This is probably my favorite set of chapter images so far, except perhaps the Christmas and Road Trip chapters from the first story. Enjoy!

**Song Inspiration:**  
_Good Life_ by Anthem Academy

**Previously** – Mir cheerful after Halloween and watched Alice sketch while brothers hunted/sparred. Mir worried over Quileutes and Alice comforted. After returning, Edward comforted Mir. Jazz got Mir to attend self-defense. Training improved Mir's mood as usual and Jazz admitted sparring does the same for him. Jazz compared Mir to Alice w/dislike of the unexpected. Carlisle helped Mir w/homework. Mir compared Carlisle to Todd Holden and realized differences. Carlisle comforted and Mir restless that night. Edward distracted Mir w/'Moonlight Sonata' sheet music. Katie  & Jess teased Mir of Jacob. At defense, Dan praised Mir's poker face & technique. Jacob called and invited Mir to bonfire. After call, Edward had Mir use her ability and realized she should go. Edward and Mir switched optimism and cynicism. Edward promised to return hope Mir has given. Mir went to bonfire w/Charlie and recalled Cullens' goodbyes. Jacob stuck by Mir. Council/Pack confronted Mir and she defended Cullens. Mir enjoyed bonfire/friends for a while. Tribe tried to divide Mir/Cullens and Mir defended again. Charlie & Mir left bonfire in low spirits.

> **Chapter 5: Affection**

As Charlie drove through town, my body retained such rigidness that I could feel my muscles ache. In the dark of night, I felt glad I couldn't see the foliage around us in the depths of its changing autumn state. Leaves glowing with fiery colors hit too close to the mark; I needed no reminders of the bonfire I had just left.

I couldn't remember even one moment when I had so deeply anticipated returning to the Cullen house. Even after leaving the hospital in November, my feelings were not nearly so chaotically expectant. By the time we reached the familiar winding drive, I could hardly sit still.

Rather than merely wait for his charge to head inside, Charlie parked the cruiser and stood from the vehicle as I did, escorting me to the front door.

The wooden barrier opened in a whoosh of air, revealing a very ruffled Esme with her hair in a messy ponytail and her pale blue apron dotted with all manner of stains – some looked like paint, some like plant residue, and others still looked like chocolate. It must have taken every activity under the sun to occupy Esme's worried mind all the long night.

"Come inside, honey," the motherly vampire sighed, shoulders dipping low with relief. Esme's hand found mine with warm affection as she tugged us into the foyer. "Charlie, you too."

Charlie followed through the doorway awkwardly, something obviously on his mind. Before he could speak, Carlisle came down the circular stairs at a quick human clip, golden eyes jolting to where I stood whole and moderately happy with Esme.

No one else waited on the main floor and I wondered where they all were in the house.

"Something happened," Carlisle assumed from mine and Charlie's faces, eyes narrowing slightly along with Esme.

"Sort of," Charlie responded with another heaving sigh, stepping forward to explain, "It wasn't straightforward, but… well, some of the tribe were apparently trying to convince Mireille she shouldn't be here with your family. Sounded like they were trying to say she doesn't know enough about you."

Inhaling sharply, Esme and Carlisle turned to face me with worried gazes.

"They didn't get far before Mireille started to give them what-for," Charlie admitted wryly, "but I could see that's where they were heading."

"She's only sixteen!" Esme exclaimed, thankfully on point about my cover story. "What do they expect to happen, Mireille leaving her only family?"

"Their feelings about this mystical garbage are worse than I realized," Charlie confessed, shaking his head with a heavy frown.

"Clearly," was Carlisle's simple, sharp remark.

"I would have said something," Charlie sighed, deeply troubled, "but Mireille always gets her point across in a flash and by the time she was done, she wanted to leave. I just wanted to get her back home to you."

"Thank you, Charlie," Carlisle sighed more peaceably, and while it appeared to be a sound of pure concern, I could feel the relief pouring off of him and Esme in waves that I was there with them. "You truly needn't worry about not saying anything. I know Mireille's words were the best defense anyone could offer."

"I'll leave you be now," the chief of police offered quietly. "You have a good night."

"And you, Charlie," Carlisle replied, walking the chief out and closing the door behind him.

Once the door closed, I was ensconced in two pairs of stone arms that held me tightly. Esme wrapped me up in her embrace and Carlisle wrapped his arms around both of us.

"I never want to go there again," I murmured into Esme's blouse, head tucked up under her chin.

"Oh, honey, what happened?" Esme sighed sadly, petting my hair in comfort.

"They definitely didn't want me there," I explained of the evening. "Billy Black all but said so and I reproached him for bias we didn't deserve. For a while I was okay. I was on edge, but the teens spent time with me and we had some fun talking and telling stories. Then Old Quil and Sam convinced Emily to come talk to me. She kept emphasizing the idea that I hadn't lived with you very long and didn't really know you. Like Charlie said, I was on it in a heartbeat, but it was sickening to hear."

"I suppose we should have expected this," Carlisle exhaled roughly, alternatively kissing the top of my head quite softly.

When the Cullen parents eventually released me, a blast of chill air hit me at the same time two steely arms nearly squeezed the life from my body.

"I _hate_ not seeing them!" Alice's fierce voice rang in my ears.

For a moment I blinked, trying to recover from the sudden appearance, but without warning I found a laugh trilling from my throat. It was just like Alice to respond to the moment in such a way.

Seven laughs joined mine in the still air and the atmosphere somehow returned to normal.

Alice hated to let go of me, leading Rosalie to simply squeeze my hand with an indulgent expression for her psychic sister. Emmett, however, nudged Alice out of the way so he could lift me off my feet in a cautiously gentle bear hug. Jasper followed with a far calmer one-armed embrace, spreading the pleasant love and companionship of the family through me.

"Thank you," I muttered gratefully against the former soldier's shoulder before we separated.

Jasper smiled ironically. "You're welcome, Mir."

It was Edward who stood back a bit – something I probably should have expected – with a guilt-ridden expression covering his features.

"Oh, no, not that again!" I groaned out loud at the familiar look, inciting louder laughter from the family than before. "Please, I just got you to be an optimist yesterday!"

Against his better judgment, Edward's lips twitched amusedly. With my mind open to his ability, the bronze-haired vampire could hardly disagree with my mindset.

Nevertheless, as Edward stepped closer, he told me uncomfortably, "I convinced you to go."

"Actually, you only convinced me to use my gift and see if I _should_ go," I corrected Edward's description. "Then we had a meeting and everyone, even Rose, decided I should follow that intuition. I could have said no, but I didn't. So knock off the guilt complex, will you?"

With a roll of his eyes, Edward finally smiled truly and shook his head, but his eyes flashed with mischief all too quickly.

"All right, little c—"

"Don't!" I cut in warningly, rewarded with more laughs. "You promised!"

"Come here," Edward chuckled, reaching out to pull me into a hug. "I'm sorry it was so terrible in La Push."

Squeezing him around the middle, I snorted aloud. "Please. Frustrated as I am, Vanessa was far worse than the Quileutes."

"I can't disagree," Edward snorted along with me, an underlying current of anger coursing through the sound. "Still, it was a very unhappy experience for the most part."

"I suppose that's true," I exhaled irritably over the whole situation and pulled back. "It really would be nice to be able to hang out with Leah and the boys otherwise."

"Maybe you still can," Emmett suggested with a shrug. "Jacob and his pals don't seem like they're planning on following orders anytime soon."

"That's what worries me," Rosalie added to the conversation, settling stiffly on a white chair.

Affected by that plain statement of concern from Rosalie, I frowned over the implications of what Jacob had said at both the Halloween party and over the phone when he invited me to the bonfire.

_I'm going to plan on that 'some day' you speak of, Mireille_.

_And you'll be the first one I drag into rebellion._

… _as much as you want to keep this whole friendship thing under cover until some point far in the future, I don't._

Edward shared a gaze full of apprehension and resignation with me, knowing that Jacob was certainly meant to be in the Cullens' lives, but what price would be paid by everyone in the interim? We hardly had the answers, but I knew it wouldn't be long before Jacob Black turned up again. Precisely how he did so remained to be seen.

In the morning, waking up in that familiar floral-clothed bed in my sea blue room with 'Moonlight Sonata' playing from the secret door that led to Edward's recently-made accommodations, my anxieties eased and my mind cleared marginally.

Once I had showered and changed into one of my more characteristic quirky outfits of chunky white and black dotted pumps paired to a black sweater, black tights, and a white skirt overlaid with gorgeous black lace, Edward showed up in the room to remind me what day it was with only a knowing expression.

Withholding a startled gasp, I eschewed thoughts of breakfast and immediately set to work at my craft table to place last minute touches on the project I had started well before the Quileute drama began. Edward sighed exasperatedly at my choice to forgo food in favor of work. Unsurprisingly, the seventeen-year-old reappeared moments later with a tray of casual fare he knew I would eat almost any time of the day. It took a good deal of prompting over the course of the early morning, but Edward managed to have me eat half the tray's contents before I completed the project to my satisfaction.

From there we both headed downstairs, at which time my newly attentive mind also happened to notice Edward's spiffy outfit – a white dress shirt rolled to the elbows and tucked into slim black jeans and belt.

"Alice started on us early," Edward admitted, smiling wryly as we stepped off the stairs to find everyone else already gathered around the coffee table – of course.

"Of course," Edward remarked mercilessly, leading me to scowl lightly at his smirking features and turn back to his siblings.

Emmett in all taupe pleasantly complimented Rosalie in her rose gold floral jumpsuit and metallic pumps while Alice and Jasper wore well-matched shades of dark blue with contrasting burgundy on Alice's blouse and skirt, as well as both of their shoes.

"Did you bring…?" I started to ask, but I didn't even finish when Edward lifted up the parcel I had asked him to hide for me all the way back in August. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he murmured in return, slipping the peach-wrapped box into my red-tipped fingers.

Carlisle and Esme took stock of the six of us waiting with various small items in our hands. Most were cards such as the one I had completed not long before, but there were a few gifts as well.

"Happy Anniversary!" Edward led us in saying in the familiar phrase to the Cullen parents.

"At least it's not a big party," Esme teased us all and made us laugh. The caramel-headed woman stood all in satin with a simple ivory blouse and dark green pleated skirt and heels next to Carlisle in a matching ivory dress shirt and dark green slacks. To my great adoration and amusement, Carlisle had added a dark green scarf in lieu of a tie. There had always been something about Carlisle and scarves that was somehow cute and sentimental.

Alice certainly did love to match pairs up, I realized with a humored smile. She would have a heck of a time with Bella – that much was certain.

Without fanfare, each of us placed our cards and few gifts on the coffee table in front of Carlisle and Esme, leaving them to unceremoniously unwrap everything. Sharing a fond gaze, the beloved couple looked over every piece on the table surface, each opening what gifts were meant for them. We hadn't all bought gifts for each parent this time around, but significant gifts that caught our eye.

"Cherry blossoms," Esme smilingly assumed of the diamond drop earrings settled in a red satin cushion, to which I nodded a bit bashfully.

With the gift-giving over and six of us returning to various other activities, doctor and architect remained settled comfortably together on the sofa, stealing occasional kisses while the rest of us either pretended not to notice or contentedly appreciated the love between husband and wife.

Laughing under his breath, Edward remarked softly from his spot beside me on the piano bench, "I think that's just you."

"Shut up," I murmured unaffectedly through his musical concert, still entranced by the sweet relationship of Carlisle and Esme. I doubted I would ever get over their romance and devotion to one another.

Edward couldn't seem to resist speaking up again, highly amused, "Back to normal, I see."

Rolling my eyes to the ceiling and back, I turned slowly to the side to face Edward with exasperated blue eyes. Barking a laugh over my reaction, the bronze-haired vampire merely shook his head and went on playing Tchaikovsky.

Near the end of the piece, after such a lengthy silence, it was Rosalie who broke the void with a rather unhappy thought, "I hate to say this on in the midst of such calm, but… something else significant happened on this day."

There was no doubt to what the blonde referred and I took a deep breath to prepare for the coming conversation.

"Mir was attacked last year," Alice completed her sister's thought, frowning heavily at the reminder.

"It was pretty significant, all right," Emmett grumbled low, folding angry arms across his bulky chest.

"Have we ever really discussed it?" Rosalie wondered aloud.

"Together, you mean," Alice determined seriously, understanding exactly what her sister meant.

"I thought we might want to talk about it," Rosalie suggested with a shrug. "It was a rather grisly day and we all had very strong emotions about the circumstances."

"Life isn't whole without good _and_ bad moments, I guess," Carlisle agreed tentatively.

Jasper and Edward shared clear glances as they both experienced either my thoughts or my feelings on the topic of that first attack and all the consequences and reactions that followed it. Neither brother said anything aloud, and neither Carlisle nor Esme truly seemed inclined to follow the change in subject.

"You know what I want to talk about on this lovely, lovely day?" I spoke up, an idea striking me as I glanced over Esme's slender fingers displayed against Carlisle's nimble hand and the crest ring he always wore.

Every vampire looked to me in curiosity, except for wryly smiling Edward beside me.

"I want to talk about a funny little story," I continued casually enough. "See, many years ago, there was a sixteen-year-old tree climber and an immortal vampire doctor who came to care about each other. Circumstances tore them apart, but fate brought them back together. They fell in love and were married eighty-three years ago. Later, they had six stubbornly morbid children, some of whom tried to focus on one bad day rather than the eighty-two good days that came before it… Does this sound familiar at all? I hope I'm not boring you."

Esme covered her mouth with one hand, the other wrapped into her amused husband's loving grasp. Edward rolled his eyes, but Jasper grinned over my renewed positivity and leaned back into his seat without argument. Between Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice passed an expectant, resigned look.

"I don't see what we really need to discuss about that dreadful night," Jasper offered up, the first time he had spoken in a long while. "What came later had far worse effects and Mir often made honest parallels to the first attack anyway."

"She wasn't exactly quiet about it after it happened," Esme concurred with her militaristic son. "Even Edward couldn't argue around her last Christmas."

"I think I've talked with every one of you about it at least once," I mentioned as well. "I'm not trying to avoid the past, but I feel like it's just unnecessary to rehash such a terrible experience over and over again. Especially for no real reason I can see. Forgive me, Rose, but I think that effort of needlessly reliving pain is something you've held onto because of your history."

Just a tiny bit worried how my blunt words would affect the blonde vampire I had been able to find so much common ground with over the past year, I quickly realized I needn't have worried.

After a moment of thought, Rosalie dryly admitted, "You may have a point."

Emitting a rather relieved little laugh, I released the tension that had built up and relaxed beside Edward.

"I really would like to talk about all your weddings," I confessed plainly. "I know a little of Alice and Jasper's wedding and I've seen their rings, but there's still a lot I haven't seen or heard. Alice and Jasper were planning to show me their wedding photos after we returned from the road trip, but in the middle of facing Lansing and Lewiston, everything was lost in the shuffle and we never got around to it."

"Oh, gosh, we did forget!" Alice gasped. "I can't believe it! And you also never saw Rose's rings."

"You've never seen them?" Rosalie smirked a bit at my lapse in detailed observances.

"I know, I know, their big and obvious," I sighed, accepting the laughter that surrounded me. "I just never paid any attention for some reason."

"Well, I'm wearing them now," Rosalie replied long-suffering, stepping over to crouch beside the piano bench and offer up her left hand.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed in shock at the sight of the enormous stone perched on one slender finger. At the center sat an Asscher-cut diamond of amazing clarity and color, surrounded by baguette-cut diamond shoulders in a silver band. Once I could see past the amazing wedding ring, I was able to more clearly examine the gorgeous wedding band behind it. The silver eternity ring was more diamond than metal, eighteen oval-cut stones wrapped all around the band.

"The main stone is almost twenty carats," Rosalie explained, eyeing the rings as I did. "The stones on the band are eighteen carats all together."

"Edward helped me order the engagement ring custom that year," Emmett explained with a much less mischievous smile than he normally wore. Mostly it was an expression of love and warmth for his brother's help and his wife's joy. "I wasn't even past my year mark yet, so I asked him to do most of the footwork for me. Not that I didn't do a little window shopping – without breathing, mind you."

"Did you order the band custom, too?" I wondered, fascinated by another wonderful piece of the family's history.

"Uh, no. It wasn't custom."

Emmett had hesitated for a fraction of a second too long, drawing many fascinated eyes to his awkward pose as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Em?" Rosalie wondered at the odd response, turning to face her husband with curious eyes tempered by amused suspicion. "You always said it wasn't custom, the answer should be easy."

"I _didn't_ get it custom made," Emmett confirmed confidently, but Rosalie's lifted brow prompted the return of her husband's discomfort. "Eh… it wasn't from a shop, either. I just didn't want you to be upset, baby, but it looked so perfect for you and… well…"

Stumbling, sincerely heartfelt Emmett was absolutely adorable, I acknowledged in my mind, the thought following right alongside a suspicion forming in my head. Turning shrewd eyes to my side, I gazed at Edward unceasingly until he finally met my eyes with a fond, resigned sigh that answered my unasked question and put a broad smile on my face.

"Emmett," Rosalie pressed quite calmly, a lilt of a smile flitting across her ruby lips as she stepped in front of her burly husband and kissed him more sweetly than I was accustomed to seeing between the bold couple. "I'm not upset. I just want to know where it came from."

I had the feeling Rosalie already suspected, but she visibly loved Emmett playing the awkward hubby and didn't mind drawing it out a little to appreciate the atypical behavior.

Feeling the emotions running through everyone in the room, Jasper started to catch on to the truth before anyone else. Alice followed him once a vision quietly overtook her and left her covering an amazed giggle.

"Well, babe…" Emmett struggled, catching his brother's eye to get a single, accepting nod before he completed his answer, "…it's from Edward's human family."

Carlisle and Esme gasped in pleased understanding, the last to fully comprehend the situation and its implications.

I marveled at the fact that all this time, Edward actually _had_ given Rosalie a piece of his family's jewelry. She just never knew it.

Heaving a sigh, Edward added his own thoughts, "There was a brand new wedding band in the shop that Emmett saw in passing, but it had sold when I returned the next day. Emmett was… beside himself. He told me all the things he wanted in a band to give you and I knew this ring fit those qualities well. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

Rosalie gazed upon her brother with discerning eyes, looking for who-knew-what. After several quiet moments, the blonde smiled slightly and shrugged one shoulder delicately. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Rosie," Emmett reentered the conversation uncomfortably.

Turning back to Emmett with an embrace as well as a kiss this time, Rosalie added understandingly, "I know why you didn't tell me, Em. If I had known it was from Edward, I might not have accepted it back then. Luckily things have changed. Besides… I always did enjoy it."

The shadows of Emmett's expression lifted ever-so-slightly at the inclinations behind his wife's words.

"Thank you," Rosalie offered her bronze-haired brother gently, if a bit stiffly, from Emmett's arms. "Who did it belong to?"

"Ruth Masen, my father's younger sister," Edward explained. "She married a British businessman named Hugh Armistead in nineteen-ten and he had the ring commissioned just for her. They rarely saw us, but I vaguely remember Mother always said they were close. Apparently my mother helped with the ring's design. When Ruth and Hugh were killed a few years later during the war, Mother inherited it."

As the silence fell again in the wake of Edward's story, I knew I would I have to take the initiative if I wanted to know any more about the Cullens' weddings. Edward released a bark of laughter at my thought and whatever tension or disquiet had fallen over the room melted away.

"Why don't you ask Rose a little more of her special day," Edward suggested, bringing Rosalie's undivided attention reluctantly away from Emmett and back to me.

"Or, you know… I could take a rain check, I guess," I recommended awkwardly, loosing a nervous little laugh. When those two were preoccupied, they didn't really like to be interrupted.

"No, it's fine," Rosalie interceded before I could behave any more uneasily, pulling away from Emmett with a reassuring little smile her husband echoed far more widely.

"Emmett, show Mir your wedding band," Alice proposed cheerfully, rolling Jasper's wedding ring around his finger almost unknowingly. The honey-haired Texan watched his tiny mate in her distracted efforts, amused and quietly pleased by the warm little gesture.

"Oh, here." Emmett immediately held out his left hand for my perusal. A multitude of tiny diamonds dotted the wide platinum band on his finger, formed with an intricate, delicate design featuring eyelike shapes in-between opposing elliptical curves.

"How did you manage being around a minister?" I couldn't help asking of Emmett as I examined the detailed ring he wore with a helpless smile.

My eyes quickly found Esme as well, knowing she had faced the same trouble when she married Carlisle. Esme smiled understandingly of my curious gaze, but allowed her bulky son to answer first.

"It wasn't easy," Emmett confessed with a deep chuckle. "But it was for Rose, so I knew I had to do it, no matter how rough it was. I held my breath a lot throughout the day, that's for sure, and I took a lot of 'smoke breaks' to get a fresh store of air far from the minister's scent. I had to, so I could actually speak my vows when the moment came. By the time Rose walked down the aisle, the minister thought I was a chain smoker."

Rosalie gazed proudly at her husband for his strength of resistance so early on, all directly for her. I was touched, as always, by the beautiful, sentimental things the Cullens often did for their partners and the rest of the family.

"That was partly my reason with Carlisle," Esme smiled again, this time more nostalgic than anything else as she squeezed the doctor's hand. "I also knew I didn't want to hurt anyone. Edward helped me immensely. He walked me down the aisle as much for physical restraint as for emotional reasons. Thankfully it wasn't necessary. Carlisle was distraction enough."

Esme's last teasing line was clearly meant only for her soul mate, the man in question definitely looking as if he would be blushing as he cleared his throat.

Stifling a giggle along with Alice, I replied with difficulty, "That's sweet. I didn't know Edward walked you down the aisle."

"Well, as I said, it was partially in case I needed to be restrained," Esme half laughed over Carlisle's embarrassment, leaning over to lovingly kiss his cheek. "I did love the idea, though. We had bonded over so much in such a short time. I just couldn't imagine Edward standing off to the side rather than being directly involved in our wedding. The love we felt was something Edward fostered even when we were too self-conscious and afraid to do it ourselves."

Heartfelt and gentle, Esme's memory stirred my tender feelings and pushed me to appreciatively eye Edward's sheepish and defiant features.

' _Softie_ ,' I offered through my thoughts for Edward alone, reminding us both of our time at his family home in Chicago and my affected response when he had explained how much Carlisle meant to him.

No doubt seeing the memory with his perfect recall, Edward effected a rather shy smile and said nothing.

"So… can I see wedding photos?" I inquired of the others with an elevated pitch of excitement to my voice.

Laughter blanketed the room and within seconds there were not only photo albums, but numerous storage containers and garment bags in the living area ranging in size from teensy-tiny to big and broad.

"Oooh," I exclaimed, excitement rising exponentially. "I sense a game of show and tell coming on."

"We'll start with that," Esme announced gladly. "Rose, why don't you go ahead?"

"I'll begin with this, then," Rosalie smiled more happily than normal, opening a shoe box and a large garment box in a second flat. There was a great commotion of protective covers and wrappings, all the best of the best to protect the Cullens' dearest pieces of clothing, until Rosalie cautiously removed a pair of low-heeled t-strap satin pumps in ivory and silver.

"They were once white, but of course they've aged over the last seventy years," Rosalie explained gently, admiring her vintage shoes as she held them up to my inspection.

"They're so pretty," I admired the heels as well. "I love shoes from the twenties and thirties. They're my favorites."

"I've never liked anything nearly as much until heels changed in the past two decades," Rosalie agreed, carefully settling her heels atop their trappings so she could pull a veiled headpiece from the much-larger garment box. From a delicate gold and pearl tiara with a looping top section, sheer white fabric stretched across the top of the head, pinched at the ends of the tiara, and draped off Rosalie's arm and back down into the box.

"Oh my," I gasped quietly over the beautiful accessory, clearly picturing the piece covering Rosalie's golden locks as they clambered in an elegantly chaotic up-do at the base of her neck.

Before I could look the piece over to my heart's content, Rosalie handed the piece off – rather surprisingly – to Carlisle for temporary safekeeping. I didn't really understand Rosalie's choice in caretaker until the blonde made to remove the last piece of her ensemble from a garment bag with Esme and Alice's assistance.

The loudest gasp yet escaped my lips as an unfathomable amount of aged white satin continued to slip up and through Rosalie's tender hands. Between the three Cullen ladies, the shining dress was extended carefully and safely to full length without ever hitting the floor.

Espousing a broad train, long sleeves that formed points over the hand, and intricate Chantilly lace around the neckline, the bias cut gown screamed elegance, sensuality, and confidence all rolled together. Picturing Rosalie Hale in the gorgeous, draping creation was by no means challenging in any way, shape, or form.

"It's the most perfect thing I've ever seen!" I exclaimed, gleeful by the time my exploration of the lengthy wedding gown ended. I found myself simply staring at the immaculately-designed dress just for the thrill of it.

Emitting a small laugh of delight, Rosalie smiled again. "Thank you. Esme and I worked for ages on it."

"You made it," I repeated in disbelief.

"I couldn't find anything suitable in the shops nearby," Rosalie confessed, shrugging haplessly. "They were all mountains of thick lace, frou-frou collars, and puffed sleeves. While I didn't mind them on the whole, I didn't want to repeat my first wedding dress. So I decided to make something completely different."

Caught off guard by the casual mention of Rosalie's horrific engagement to Royce King III, I couldn't find the words to reply. Stepping forward to squeeze his wife affectionately around the shoulders, Emmett offered me an expression of comprehension and kindly changed the topic.

"You looked gorgeous, babe," the burly vampire smiled over Rosalie's shoulder and brought a fresh little smile to the blonde's face even as she held her dress safely away.

"We took many pictures of our wedding, as you might guess," Rosalie allowed the topic change with remarkable ease and began repackaging her beautiful wedding attire with even greater care.

"They're in that album," Emmett pointed out helpfully in the interim, gesturing at a bound black leather book.

"You can just browse through, if you like," Rosalie offered, catching my nervous eyes for a brief moment.

"Thank you," I replied simply, reaching out for the album and opening up to a slew of traditional wedding poses at the house and outdoors among the trees before the ceremony. Poses of Rosalie and Emmett individually in their wedding clothes, poses with both parents or just one, a few poses with Edward that Rosalie had probably reluctantly stood for, and many poses of Emmett and Edward with the former making his brother laugh in the picture more often than not.

Peonies, roses, and hydrangea filled out Rosalie's wedding bouquet, although the colors remained unknown in the vintage pictures.

"Was your bouquet colored or just white?"

"Mostly white," Rosalie answered immediately, at last packing her white and silver shoes away, "but I added some green hydrangea and a few yellow roses."

"That was why I wore this," Esme added, pulling something sheer and yellow from the packaging of another large garment box. In full, it was revealed to be a floor-length, delicate yellow dress with long loose sleeves and a crew neck. Beneath the green and yellow floral piece was a matching soft yellow slip.

"Wow, that's so floaty and pretty!" I excitedly described the feminine outfit and the matching green t-strap pumps.

"It is extremely pretty, isn't it?" Alice agreed with my fashion opinion, also looking over the soft yellow gown.

"Where did you get married?" I asked of Emmett and Rosalie, still eyeing the dress and shoes contentedly.

"In Elizabethton – a place called Blue Hole Falls," Emmett clarified happily. "It was a big help to be outside, let me tell you."

"The area looked outstanding that time of year," Rosalie tacked on, pleased by their luck.

"So you and Emmett were married _at_ the waterfalls," I realized, finally reaching photos that had been taken during the ceremony. Edward had taken them, I imagined, since he wasn't present in many of the pictures. In those photos he was present for, Esme or Carlisle stood absent, which led me to conclude she pushed him out from behind the camera for posterity's sake. "Then Alice and Jasper were married in a greenhouse. Lots of nature. I like it."

"On that note, I think I'll pass the torch to Alice," said Rosalie, safely setting her boxes to the side.

"Well, these are my heels," the tiny vampire took over cheerfully and gestured at a pale pink shoe box as she lifted out a pair of very simple, open-toed white slingback pumps made of mesh and leather.

"I like those. They're perfect for the spring season."

"Part of the reason I'm glad we were married indoors," Alice concurred. "If we'd been married outside, they might have looked strange in cool April weather."

Alice's next items came out of a fuchsia hat box and a vibrantly purple garment bag. From the fuchsia box, an adorable birdcage veil with a white satin bow on top that barely scratched chin length. From the purple bag, a surprisingly plain white sleeveless dress of knee-length with a boat neck, fitted with a thick designed lace overlay so as to appear one solid piece. Both pieces paired well with Alice's bridal pumps and her physical appearance, yet neither matched the woman herself. Knowing the tiny vampire as I did, especially her personal brand of style and the fact that – unlike Rosalie – this was Alice's only wedding to-date, it felt odd she hadn't worn a beautiful, elegant veil and dress as had been the fashion of the time.

While short veils and dresses had grown in popularity throughout the fifties, most photos I had seen of weddings so early in the decade had featured gorgeous veils and long, broad, fabulous dresses. Probably a repercussion of wartime, I realized – women wanted beautiful things that low finances and rationing during the war had previously denied other brides. Married in 1951 and 1953, even my grandmothers had worn such styles of dress and veil on moderately low incomes.

While relatively trivial, I supposed, it also seemed Alice's choice in wedding attire clashed with the elegant rings she and Jasper chose for each other. That, above all, bothered me for some reason.

"I know what you're thinking," Alice intoned musically, lips pressed inward as she let her humor reign free.

"Tell me what I'm thinking," I echoed, amused by her assumption.

"It's not me," the tiny woman immediately replied and I was surprised she truly did know what I had been thinking. "They style of the dress and veil and shoes… it isn't _my_ style."

"It's cute, but… it's so colorless and simple. For you, anyway," I shrugged helplessly. Not quite my gift, but a gut feeling guided me to further hypothesize, "You already talked about this, didn't you?"

"Jasper recognized it from the start," Alice confessed without hesitation. "During our two years alone, he had learned enough about my fashion inclinations to understand how withdrawn my style became when we started planning the wedding. He tried to convince me I should talk with Carlisle and Esme, but I wasn't able to do so and I accepted what I'd chosen. It wasn't until I helped plan Rosalie and Emmett's next wedding a few years later that it finally came to light. Rosalie and Esme both commented on the difference between my style choices and I just found myself blurting out the truth."

"The truth being… you were too insecure to use more money than absolutely necessary," I deduced all too easily, smiling understandingly at the tiny woman.

"So you see, I _did_ comprehend how you felt," Alice informed me, gently humored yet still serious. "The second night we went shopping – when we argued over Homecoming – I did know what you meant. I just wanted to convince you to accept everything because I knew you deserved it. The same way I did, even though I didn't understand that at the time."

Sharing a warm smile with the pixielike vampire, I leaned over to hug her, careful not to damage the dress she held. It may not have been her ideal wedding dress, but it was nonetheless the garment in which she had spoken her vows to the love of her life. In that way, at least, it was memorable and beautiful.

"At least you got to marry Jasper," I teased through a small laugh, inciting the same from Alice.

"I couldn't agree more," she giggled contentedly, turning to eye the Texan vampire behind us with deep devotion. Jasper stole a brief kiss from his wife before reappearing on the sofa.

"Esme, Rose, you're bound to brighten Mir's fashion senses," Alice remarked to her mother and sister. "Why don't you show her what you wore at the wedding?"

From a white box, Rosalie produced a brilliant scarlet red dress with a v-neck and overlaid with lace the same as Alice's wedding dress. Open-toed ankle strap pumps in the same vibrant red with little cutouts on the toe stood out undeniably.

By comparison, Esme's dress was a golden yellow with white, dark green, and autumn colors in a floral print. Matched by a blended belt and red ankle strap pumps with golden edging, Esme's outfit stood out as elegant and yet simple.

"So much pretty," I sighed helplessly while the others laughed.

"Oh, come on," Alice giggled once more and led me to sit between her and Jasper on the sofa. "There are some funny pictures from our wedding I want you to see."

Sure enough, Emmett and Edward had made one too many stupid candid photos, each one blessedly different from the rest and bringing loud laughter from the three of us. Esme had somehow become embroiled in her two sons' horseplay shortly before the ceremony. Jasper and Carlisle could both be seen laughing from the background in several of Esme's more frustrating scenes.

The wedding reception was a tiny familial event at what I now knew to be Edward's family home, more horseplay now encompassing every member of the family in their surprisingly colored photographs. There was even a small wedding cake destroyed in the process; although why the Cullens had bothered with a cake, I just didn't understand, turning to Esme for clarity.

"I just wanted to make them a lovely cake," Esme shrugged helplessly. "Rose saw no point in having one at her wedding, so this was my only opportunity."

Snorting at the sentimental reasoning, I grinned at the motherly vampire and retorted, "You're almost as bad as I am."

"Maybe worse," Edward teased his mother as well, to which the caramel-haired vampire scoffed and swatted her eldest son away amidst our laughter.

"The flowers were another area of insecurity, too, I guess," I considered in the aftermath of our perusal of Alice and Jasper's marriage album. "White and red carnations seem pretty standard."

"I don't even really like carnations," Alice frowned slightly in admission. "I probably wouldn't have wanted red as one of the colors, either. I love our rings, but I wouldn't make the theme match the colors. Time period, perhaps, but not the colors specifically. I mean, it all fit together well enough, but really it was silly to be so afraid of wanting more. That's limited and definitely no fun."

"What flowers and colors would you have wanted?" I wondered curiously, once more taking an admiring look at Alice's garnet and yellow sapphire set in that elegant gold band, as well as Jasper's fascinatingly unique brown dappled jasper stone set in a silver art deco band.

"Oh, something unusual, perhaps," Alice considered undaunted. "I've always liked ranunculus and I do love pink and yellow more often than any other colors. Other than that, I'm not sure. I tried not to think of what-if scenarios – it might have depressed me about my own wedding and I don't want that."

Sparing only a moment more to think upon her foolhardy worries, Alice then shrugged. "Oh well. What's done is done. Take it away, Esme."

"Happily," Esme grinned mildly, reaching for a black leather album that shone blue in the light before ever grasping the remaining boxes beside her. "I intend to bore you with a few photographs first."

"I could never be bored with your photos," I remarked with a wry shake of my head.

Chuckling, Carlisle scooted over so I had just enough room to squish between him and the arm of the sofa.

"We don't have nearly as many pictures," Esme warned me ahead of time, passing the album from Carlisle to me, "but Edward made sure to take more than most people at the time would have done."

When I first caught sight of Carlisle and Esme's attired photographs in two small, separate rooms at what I now recognized as the Cullens' Ashland house, I forgot entirely about there being less pictures than anyone else's marriages. While it wasn't easy to see all the beauty of Esme's wedding clothes in the old-fashioned photos, she nevertheless appeared stunningly lovely.

"You look absolutely beautiful," I breathed amazedly over what appeared to be a lace gown and veil Esme wore. She could have been a princess for all the average observer knew.

"Thank you, sweetie," Esme murmured happily, reaching across Carlisle to hug me close a moment. "I so loved making it."

"You made yours, too," I restated in surprise. "With all the lace…"

"I had plenty of time," Esme laughed quietly.

Despite the lesser amount of pictures, Carlisle and Esme boasted larger photos because of the borders. Two photos could barely fit on one page at times. Whether that was the nature of the photographs of that era or simply personal preference, I wasn't sure.

"All right, I won't keep you in any more suspense," Esme promised me laughingly, standing as she reached for one of the large boxes next to her seat.

Soft, sheer material seemed to never end as Esme carefully revealed her Juliet cap veil with a cream rose on either side of the cap, and pearls dusting all along the band and delicate floral lace pattern that dotted the body of the veil. The pictures had done it little justice.

"How marvelous!" I squealed in delight, to which Esme and Alice laughed brightly. "The lace is so perfect!"

"Wait until you see the dress," Rosalie smirked gently.

To my eager eyes, Esme grinned broadly and gently handed Carlisle her veil while she reached into a white shimmering garment bag and withdrew a piece of clothing so beautiful and incomparable I couldn't even put the extremity of its beauty into words. As with the veil, pictures had done the piece no justice whatsoever.

Exquisitely delicate aged lace composed the v-neck, upper back, elbow-length sleeves, and two-tiered skirt of Esme's enchanting floor-length wedding gown. Soft and silky, a lovely sash embellished the blousened waist and ended in a wide, elegant bow at the back with the remaining silken material hanging to the tender hem of the Edwardian styled dress.

I felt as though I had stepped back in time and could envision Esme putting on her impossibly charming gown and veil, perfectly matched to each other and the sublime diamond on her ladylike hand, not to mention the way Esme's entire wardrobe highlighted the delicate, sentimental love between the Cullen parents.

"I am thoroughly in love," I sighed dreamily, absorbing the impact of the romantic garment in spite of the others' amusement at my expense. "Esme, if I ever get married… I need a dress like this. Even if I'm living far, far away when that time comes, I'll still call and have you make me a wedding gown just like this. Okay? Okay."

Esme actually giggled at me along with Alice, who couldn't help commenting through her giggling fit, "I don't know what you're even thinking, Mir. You know perfectly well we're financing every part of your nuptials some day down the road. I don't care if you're forty years old and living in some remote settlement halfway across the world, I'm going to find you and plan your wedding to the nth detail."

Sniffy at the last, Alice brought another round of laughter from all of us.

With careful movements as our humor died down, Esme maneuvered her gown into the hands of Rosalie and Alice. From a medium-sized white box, Esme next revealed a pair of creamy t-strap heels that had once been white. A fan-shaped detail at the buckle topped with an amber gem stood out gracefully on the satiny shoes.

"There is just so much loveliness in this room right now," I shook my head excitedly. "And I include all of you in that, thank you very much."

Chuckles filled the air while I adored Esme's low-heeled wedding pumps, making a direct connection between the fan detail on the buckle and the oval design of Esme's engagement ring.

Set low to the band, a large, elongated, navette-shaped diamond and its surrounding eight old European-cut diamonds had been placed in a glorious gold band topped with silvery white metal to support the diamonds. The thin gold band that accompanied it almost faded away in comparison, but for the delicate floral pattern engraved on its lined surface. On Esme's hand, both rings shone like the sunrise, similar to how her stone skin sparkled and dazzled in the light.

As much as I had always loved the wedding ring Esme wore, I never examined the symbol of her marriage so closely before. Back in January, I had been thoroughly distracted by the sun highlighting Carlisle and Esme's vampire skin and took only passing notice of the glittering diamond on the lovely woman's left hand.

"What kind of metal is this?" I asked, curious of the silvery white metal at the top of the ring. "And when was this made?"

"The metals are platinum and eighteen carat gold," Esme answered easily, patiently leaving her left hand in my grip for several moments. "After platinum became widely known, it was a frequent practice to combine gold and platinum on rings during the Edwardian period. The stone is just over five carats and it was cut in 1910. The whole ring, however, was actually created in… 1911."

"What?" I laughed out loud, amazed and thrilled by the last detail as I turned to gleefully look at Carlisle. "That's why you bought this particular one."

Laughing again almost bashfully, Carlisle replied, "I would have given Esme the largest diamond in the shop if I had the ability. In fact, I found a sixteen carat emerald-cut diamond I became interested in. Yet when the shop owner told me the year this ring was made… I simply could not ignore the sentiment of the year we first met."

Sweetly adoring in their manner, husband and wife stared into each other's golden eyes for long moments, oblivious to the world around them. How fitting on their anniversary that Carlisle would explain the sentimental meaning behind Esme's engagement ring.

Leaving the two to their moment, I returned to examining their wedding album in lieu of show and tell, happily engrossed in finding pictures of Edward with either parent after the ceremony had ended. No doubt Carlisle and Esme had each taken the opposite picture.

"Awww," I exclaimed at one point several minutes later, drawing out the sound of affectionate appreciation as I stared at an adorable photograph of the newly married Cullens in the church foyer.

"It must be the forehead kiss," Rosalie assumed with a small smile.

"It is," Edward confirmed, chuckling at my tenderness.

In the photograph, Carlisle had pulled Esme close, his left hand bedecked with a thin ring and wrapped with tender love across Esme's throat and jaw on her right side. The doctor leaned his lips against Esme's forehead and left temple with deep, abiding bliss on his handsome features. Equally as blissful as her new husband, Esme had closed her eyes and a tiny, almost reverent smile crossed her face.

To my surprise, the stunningly beautiful and romantic photograph was the last of the album, joined by a dried bunch of bouvardia, camellia, and sweet pea all in white, with a combination of pink and white veronica.

"Were those your bouquet?" I inquired of Esme, who had long since recovered – at least partially – from her tender scene with Carlisle.

"Yes, they were," Esme responded warmly. "Unfortunately, I didn't think to save any of the white phlox in the church, but this was the most important part… I'm only sorry I couldn't have carried cherry blossoms."

While entirely teasing, Esme's words created a little concern I had been wondering over for a little while.

"Hopefully I'm not driving you crazy with symbolic gifts and decorations…" I brought up nervously, biting my lip. "I… I know I can be a little obsessive about symbols and themes. Especially with you and Carlisle."

"Oh, Mir," Esme interrupted with a little laugh, "I don't care how many times you give me something about cherry trees or anything else tied to our history. It's awfully sweet of you."

"We have always adored how thoughtful you are," Carlisle added with a warm smile. "It is a most charming trait, sweetheart."

Suitably flustered by such praise, I turned just a hint of pink and looked down at my clasped hands rather than reply. Carlisle and Esme chuckled over the familiar silence and both reached out to pat my hands with warm affection.

"What about Carlisle's ring?" I suddenly remembered my lack of acknowledgment over yet another wedding ring, able to look past my modesty enough to satiate curiosity.

"It's very simple," Esme smiled with a tinge of humility and affection. "Similar to mine, in fact. I suggested Carlisle might simply wear his signet ring, but he was insistent."

"I wanted a symbol specific to our marriage alone," Carlisle murmured, a tender determination filling out his gentle voice as he offered up his left hand to show me the band on his ring finger.

Simple indeed, the thin gold band yet displayed a more intricate design than that of Esme, the orange blossom pattern all around rather than just at certain points and a tiny edging all around either edge of the ring. A far softer smile graced my face at the idea Carlisle wanted a physical representation of the devotion he shared with his beloved wife, my sentiments enhanced by the sweet little kiss Carlisle bestowed upon Esme's temple.

"Carlisle, Esme… I don't think there's anything or anyone more adorable than you," I could hardly withhold my commentary, sighing wistfully.

Laughter once again graced the house, but I didn't care.

Esme and Carlisle jointly offered me long-suffering fondness from their golden eyes, instilling in me a need to explain myself at least a tad more.

"You two are my unsinkable ship," I confessed, shoulders lifted powerlessly. "I'm not sure I'll ever be able to stop myself from choking on satisfaction when you so much as look at each other with love. It's like… Robin Hood and Maid Marian. They're exactly right for each other and nothing you could do would change that. Otherwise, they wouldn't be true to themselves."

Esme turned from my earnest gaze with soft eyes to catch the gentled gaze of her husband.

"I've never been compared to Robin Hood," Carlisle eventually found words, but little else.

"That's the most beautiful analogy I've heard in a long time," Esme smiled lovingly at me. "Robin and Marian have always been lovely to me. Thank you, Mir."

"You're welcome," I muttered, only a little shy over Esme's gratitude. "I thought you might want to understand why I'm always so… absorbed."

"And here I thought it was merely your soft heart," Edward remarked in his parents' stead, drawing narrowed eyes from my direction and one more laugh from everyone around us.

* * *


	7. Chapter 6: Administration

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Notes:  
** I apologize for the extended pause in updates. I was recently promoted and there was a mess of training, travel, and other things I had to do so I could start the work, let alone feel comfortable in the position over the last few months. I'm still working on more training and transition, so I won't be updating as steadily, but I'll do my utmost. If there's one thing I'm happy about in all this, it's that we paused at a very opportune moment in the tale - no cliffhanger and no immense drama left unresolved (barring Wolves v Cullens Part 1, haha). Thank you so much for all your strong support and wonderful reviews!

Well, I realized an inconsistency in Chapter 39 of _FaR: Inauguration_. I claimed Alice listened to Ella Fitzgerald's version of 'My Happiness' on the jukebox while waiting for Jasper in February 1948, but Ella's version wasn't released until June. Now I could simply chalk it up to 'universe' differences, but I don't like using that as a crutch whenever I make errors. So I'm going to go back and change the song to another perfectly fitting tune: 'How Soon (Will I Be Seeing You)' by Jack Owens. He released it in 1944, 1946, and 1947, it made Billboard's list of top songs for 1947, and it sounds very romantic/wistful. I'll update this video instead of 'My Happiness' on the blog (Chapter 39: Invitation) and of course I'll edit the chapter itself. Sorry for the little mess, but I like to be accurate, if at all possible within the realm of the story's needs. :)

Little language note here…. I use 'ooh' for being amazed or teasing. For example: "Ooh, that's a neat toy!" or "Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots." But I use 'oh' to indicate shock or understanding, such as "Oh, no!" or "Oh, I get it now." The 'oh' is an actual word, but the 'ooh' is an onomatopoeia (a word that imitates human sound). I never knew what onomatopoeia meant until today! Such a neat term. :) Also, for 'ooh' I may extend the letter _O_. For 'oh' I may extend the letter _H_. (Just for emphasis.) I don't know why I felt the need to explain all this, but I think it's worth putting out there. I may not have written the difference so clearly in previous chapters, but I will do so from now on.

Just a heads up – Bella will join events halfway through the story. I'll give everyone another heads up in the chapters leading to the big arrival.

Next chapter may be a little bit of wait, so be ready for that. I'm working on it whenever I can, though, so here's hoping!

Inspirations for this chapter are up! :) For the Inspirations Blog, I now have a note at the very top of every chapter, listing the address for anyone who's interested.

**Previously** – Charlie drove Mir home from LaPush  & explained Quileutes' behavior. Mir told Carlisle & Esme of bonfire & never wanted to go back. Cullens glad Mir okay & Edward felt guilty. Cullens worried Jacob wouldn't stay away long. Mir nearly forgot it was Carlisle & Esme's anniversary. Edward made sure Mir ate while working on a card. Cullens gave gifts to Carlisle & Esme and Edward played the piano. Rose wanted to discuss Mir's attack. Mir wanted to talk weddings. Rose & Emmett showed rings to Mir. Emmett admitted Rose's band was from Edward's aunt. Emmett & Esme described difficulty marrying due to thirst and Esme told of Edward walking her down the aisle. Mir saw attire from Rose/Emmett 1st wedding and Alice/Jazz wedding. Alice/Mir talked Alice's reluctance to have expensive wedding on Cullens' money. Alice admitted wedding style not her preference. Mir saw wedding photos and Esme's wedding attire. Alice said the family would finance/plan Mir's wedding in the future. Esme described the history of her wedding rings. Mir worried over her need for symbolism and Esme/Carlisle reassured her it was a charming trait. Mir saw Carlisle's wedding band and admitted Carlisle & Esme are her unsinkable ship.

> **Chapter 6: Administration**

Carlisle and Esme's wedding anniversary passed so smoothly and wonderfully that on some small level I wondered if I had once more been transported to an alternate reality of some kind, but everything remained exactly the same as it was before – including Edward's snort over my mental convolutions.

Simmering at a comfortable level of calm and renewed peace after the charming day I had spent discussing weddings, fashion, and romance, I wasn't perturbed in the slightest as my phone rang the next evening after self-defense, when I had settled down at my desk with Edward to complete the day's homework.

Seeing Angela's name on the screen, I didn't have to think twice about picking up.

"Hi, Mireille," Angela spoke first, nerves running rampant in her usually calm voice.

"Hey, Angela," I greeted my human friend happily. "What's up?"

"Well… you remember the hospital Christmas party last year?"

"Of course. What about it?"

"Um, I kind of became the spokesperson for all the complaints about it," Angela admitted, audibly uncomfortable with the role she had been maneuvered into. "I mean Mom and Dad knew I wasn't complaining for myself, but it was so weird and I don't even know how I got into this mess."

"I just might understand that feeling," I half laughed, thankfully inciting a smaller sound of humor from my tall friend. "So tell me what happened. You didn't get in trouble, did you?"

"Not really in trouble," Angela sighed, but I could sense her reservation even through the phone. "My parents said if I was going to speak for everyone, then I should lead all the kids with complaints to make the change they want to see."

"That sounds a little like overkill," I chuckled.

"Mom said I have to get everyone together and get parents' permission, and Dad said I should delegate who does what or how much we need of different things," Angela rattle off her parameters. "I _guess_ I could do it all right – maybe – but no one wants to help. I called _everyone_. Katie, Lee, Conner, Ben… I even asked Austin or Jess if they'd help, but they aren't going to be there at the party, so they don't want to help either. None of them want to do any of the work. I know you're so busy, Ray, but I don't know what to do and I feel so scared I'm going to mess it up on my own."

"You aren't going to do it on your own, Ang," I retorted with a roll of my eyes even though Angela couldn't see it. Beneath that long-suffering air, however, I felt upset teetering at the edges of my composure. The Webers seemed rather ridiculous shoving Angela into this new role without any instruction. "We'll _both_ get this done – and done right. Don't you worry about help – I have an idea for that. Right now, let's just plan out the basics. You get a list of what supplies and materials are available and in what amounts, colors, types, etcetera. Get a list from the church, plus anything the hospital is willing to let us borrow for the party. Bring it to English on Wednesday and we'll go over everything. Okay?"

"Okay, I can do that," Angela agreed, exhaling in relief.

"You know, it's a good thing we finished Mrs. McCall's project early," I added amusedly.

"Yeah, it is," Angela concurred, laughing a little.

"Now, did you talk to anyone's parents?"

"No, I just asked them in classes today and they pretty much refused… Oh, I feel so much better with you helping, Ray," Angela admitted. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Ang. I'll talk you to in class," I laughed at her and ended the call to get to work on my idea.

There was also something I needed to ask a very particular vampire to do, but it would have to wait until I completed the first task I had set for myself. If I was to have it ready by the weekend, I needed to get moving pronto.

"You've always been a strategist at heart," Edward muttered humorously over his last page of homework as he listened to my open thoughts. The seventeen-year-old zipped through showing his work on a trigonometry calculation and finally closed the notebook and textbook. "It's really no wonder you bonded so easily with Jasper."

"We didn't bond just because of strategy," I countered, rolling my eyes good-naturedly and turning back to my own trigonometry homework with a heavy sigh. Carlisle had opened the floodgates and allowed me to see where I went wrong in my math work, but it didn't mean I enjoyed it any more than I used to.

"Yes, I know, I know," Edward returned with light-hearted exasperation over my remark on Jasper, the bronze-haired vampire sweeping his supplies away to his room before returning to add the snarky conclusion, "I have _been_ here the past year, Mireille."

Barking a sudden laugh, Edward instantaneously evaded the hand with which I aimed to swat at the back of his bronze head, but the miss was worth the effort all the same.

Before Jasper and I for training with Dan on Tuesday, at last I was able to put my plan in motion. Picking up the phone with a list of numbers ready in hand and Esme waiting beside me for any assistance I required, I dialed the first number.

Based on mine and the Cullens' total experiences with all my friends' families, I knew the times their parents came home from work, left for work, and sat down to dinner. Having that in mind, I laid out a framework for my phone calls that allowed me to utilize my knowledge and line up calls without infringing on work schedules or dinner time rushes.

Ben Cheney's parents were the first on my list, and I smiled when David answered the phone. Ben and his father sounded almost exactly alike.

"Hi, Mr. Cheney," I responded to his initial greeting. "This is Mireille Whitlock. I was wondering if I could have a minute of your time."

"Of course, Ray," David replied pleasantly, a smile in his voice. It still amazed me sometimes how that nickname had spread even to the parents of my less pronounced school friends. "How can I help?"

"I'm sure you already know about the hospital Christmas party Pastor Weber's church is hosting in December," I began with.

"Oh, definitely," Mr. Cheney agreed. "Teresa likes to support work functions and keep up a good atmosphere. Last year, Teresa and Ben were both feeling unwell, so we missed it. We really hope to go this year."

"Well, I hope so, too," I smiled wryly. "In fact, I hoped for a little more than that. You see, Angela is planning this year's party and she asked me to assist."

"That's a wonderful thing to do," David offered. "You're both such responsible girls, I'm glad to see you put it to use so often."

"Thank you, Mr. Cheney," I replied, smiling more widely at the way our fortunes in town had turned around since I helped put away Vanessa. "Really it's Angela who's doing the work, though. I know she's up to her neck in projects for the party, so I took this one thing over for her. Between our group of friends, we had a lot of ideas how we could make the party even better from previous years. Angela knew they would love to help out, but Mr. and Mrs. Weber insisted she ask for parents' permission first. Would you be all right letting Ben help out?"

"Of course we would!" Mr. Cheney exclaimed cheerfully. "It's wonderful Ben is helping out."

"Thank you, Mr. Cheney," I finished up the conversation happily. "Could you remind Ben we're meeting up at the diner for lunch on Saturday to talk through everything?"

"Sure, Ray, I'd be happy to. You take care and tell your family hello for us."

"I'll tell them," I agreed sincerely as we ended the call.

In the silence after the phone clicked, Edward stared at me from the opposite sofa with pursed lips and gleaming eyes, eventually incapable of withholding a sparkling comment, "You sly little devil…"

For once not offended by Edward's snark, I just smirked and moved on to the next phone call amidst laughter from not only Edward, but everyone else present in the house.

The Kirkland, Packham, and Marshall families were equally as simple to arrange, considering all of them would be attending the hospital Christmas party anyway. With Ben already on the list, Austin's parents soon folded as well and agreed the same as the rest to inform their child of his wonderful deed and the noontime meet.

Jessica was an entirely different affair from the rest of our friends. I knew I could probably convince her to help even without going through her parents, but the Webers had asked Angela to get parents' permission and I felt it was the best way to keep things fair. Luckily it was Leonard Stanley who answered the call, all too pleased to let his daughter join in on the 'fun' with her friends.

Regrouping with Angela on Wednesday put me in a mind to laugh more often than not. Not because of Angela, but because of the looks I received in the halls from the peers who had previously refused to help with the Christmas party. Ranging from resigned to annoyed to indignant, and even to downright rancorous, the expressions on Jessica, Katie, Austin, Ben, Conner, and Lee's faces was worth every effort phoning their parents the previous evening. Jessica had been the one to exude the rancor, but she also proved resigned to helping out.

"Here's a list of all the supplies we have at the church," Angela quickly handed over a typed supply list during our shared AP English Language and Composition class, speaking quietly to let the rest of the class finish up their projects. "And here's one from the hospital. They actually have a lot they're willing to let us use."

"These are great lists!" I quietly exclaimed, eagerly looking over the detailed, well-organized list of materials both hospital and church were willing to share for the party. "What we need most is decorations, food, beverages, and a game plan. This will be easy."

"I'm glad one of us is so sure," Angela sighed, already stressing over the situation before it even fully began. This strain of doubtful behavior had definite roots in the situation with Vanessa in the spring.

"Hey, you've got this," I reached out to pat the taller girl's hand comfortingly. "And I've got you. That's what friends are for."

"You're the best of friends, Ray," Angela smiled, relaxing just a little. "So… where do we go from here?"

"I can put together a design if you want," I offered with half a shrug. "I'd love any ideas you want to add. You know the church really well, so think of the layout and where things work best. Take a couple days for brainstorming – food, décor, games, and etcetera – and then we can meet and trade ideas. How does that sound?"

"It sounds good to me," the honey-haired teen exhaled in relief for having plans in place. Angela didn't like planning very much. She would do it if necessary, but it wasn't her first choice. Personally, I enjoyed the process of planning out an event or project, so I was all too pleased to lend that joy to Angela's situation.

"Let's do lunch on Saturday, then," I added with such natural ease that I wondered at myself for a moment.

While Angela returned happily to her notebook and writing down ideas for the party, I spent most of English trying to figure out just when I had become so manipulative.

After fourth hour, while my introspection continued, Alice and Edward clearly made notice of my unusual aura, but as I was blocking Edward and making no decisions, neither could fully sense what bothered me unless I willingly told them. In most cases, the 'freak twins' as Emmett persisted to call them, left me to my thoughts unless it became truly problematic – as it had just before Jacob's invitation to the bonfire.

Rosalie's shrewd eyes followed me all throughout lunch, however, and in our fifth hour economics class, Jasper recognized my off-color aura quite keenly. Yet as both of their subdued personalities suggested, they left me to my conundrums – at least for a while.

It was in PSSC Physics last hour that Rosalie finally broke her silence while we attended to in-class homework.

"What's going on with you?" the blonde inquired seriously.

"Nothing's going on with me," I dared to lie to her face, albeit not looking at her golden features too closely. Rosalie had all the makings of intimidation just by staring.

Naturally the tenacious vampire was having none of my silence.

"Don't play with me," Rosalie snapped quietly, flipping the pages of her textbook more strongly than necessary, yet not leaving a tear in the thin paper. I knew she wasn't truly angry, just frustrated, leaving me much less afraid than I was resigned as the blond tacked on with quiet firmness, "I know you better."

Heaving a sigh, I turned away slightly before turning back with the foreknowledge that Alice and Edward would most definitely be paying attention. Even if they weren't, Alice would see this conversation. When Rosalie chose to do something, it tended to be a very clear decision.

"I've just been… different the past couple days," I confessed under my breath. Rosalie would easily hear me, anyway. "It worries me."

"What for?" Rosalie questioned, and I could sense her brow had lifted even without looking. "Your little bag of tricks to help Angela is true friendship. Besides, if your insensitive schoolmates were better friends, you wouldn't have had to resort to these measures. They would have helped in the first place. Remember, they did manipulate Angela into being the spokesperson without her express acceptance."

Struck dumb by the accuracy of Rosalie's assumptions and the clear picture she painted of my interactions, I could hardly find words to respond.

"Anyway," the blonde went on, sniffing haughtily, "you're too kind to be truly manipulative unless it's a desperate cause. This may not count as desperate, but you've hardly forced the other teens to agree. They must feel some measure of guilt for not doing the very thing you've suggested. Otherwise, they would have corrected their parents' misconceptions and continued to refuse participating."

Despite a mental reminder that Rosalie had a lower standard by which she judged manipulation and justice, I nonetheless felt infinitely better after I considered the totality of her response to my dilemma. Particularly insightful on many levels, the simple dissection of each player in the game eased my concerns and put to rest the fear of being a schemer.

"Thank you, Rose," I murmured in gentle surprise.

Merely nodding once in acknowledgement, the statuesque vampire returned focus to her assignment.

Rosalie’s assurances lasted and were the main reason I felt so cheerful the following morning and all through classes that day. To my utter delight upon returning from school, Emmett had wrapped up another plush penguin for me as a present for Veterans’ Day.  This particular plush boasted aqua and white with a cute little polka dotted bow tie, very different from the last stuffed animal Emmett had purchased for me at Halloween – a gray and black little penguin dressed in a loud orange ‘Trick or Treat’ pumpkin sweater.

“Em, you do realize I’m not _actually_ a veteran, right?” I wondered, testing the burly vampire with long-suffering amusement as I observed the little aqua penguin again.

Of course Emmett knew better, but it was fun to tease.

"You look like one to me," Jasper interfered before I could get an answer out of Emmett, leaving the big vampire to grin over his success even as I rolled my eyes and lightly smacked Jasper's upper arm.

Having already completed my preemptive design ideas for the hospital Christmas party, I was all prepared to go Christmas shopping with Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett on Friday after classes. We were heading out much earlier than the previous year, something I attributed mainly to the fact I wasn't recovering from a stab wound in my back. Regardless, the Cullens and I had planned out our shopping trips so everyone had the opportunity to buy gifts for different members of the family without their knowledge – Alice notwithstanding.

Saturday at noon found me in the town diner, occupying a section of four tables put together as I waited for each member of my party team to arrive. Angela and Jessica had accepted a ride from me, but the rest had various other transportation ideas and we were forced to wait them out.

"What on earth are you doing, Jess?" I questioned the black-haired girl, brows lifting amazedly as I noticed a sports catalog of some kind clenched between her hands.

Jessica's head whipped up rapidly and she stared at me like a deer in the headlights. "What?"

"What are you doing?" I repeated amusedly, nodding at the open book before her.

Pausing a long moment, Jessica repeatedly glanced between the catalog, my curious features, Angela's intentionally diverted eyes, and the diner's entrance as if observing a four-way ping pong match. Hardly able to imagine why my generally confident friend would be so ungodly nervous, I waited in patient silence for her reply.

At last, biting one glittery bubblegum pink lip tightly, Jessica leaned forward to whisper tentatively, "It's for Conner's birthday. He likes sports memorabilia, so I wanted to find something neat, but it's so hard."

"Do you know his favorite teams?" I inquired, confused by her intense hesitation. It didn't appear any clearer when I recalled Conner's birthday was only two and a half weeks away. Jessica seemed to be cutting it a little close.

"Yes, but I'm not sure what he has or doesn't have," Jessica protested, still confoundedly gun-shy for reasons beyond my comprehension.

"Well, I don't think I can really help with that," I considered, eyeing the dark-haired girl shrewdly as she stared uncomfortably at the catalog in her pink-nailed grasp.

I couldn't stop myself wondering what was really going on, because I knew intrinsically it wasn't about Conner's birthday.

Testing my odd ability on this question, I found myself vindicated. It wasn't Conner's birthday that held Jessica's attention – that much was sure. Granted, the two of them had gotten back together after Halloween, and the situation might not expressly be my business anyway. Yet even as much as Jessica had changed from the books, I felt a strange obligation to make sure she kept on that straight and narrow path for her own well-being.

As our five peers began to arrive, I contemplated ways to engage a conversation that might at least direct me to the source of Jessica's issue. For I had the strangest feeling it was one of our classmates at the heart of it all.

"Hi guys," Ben waved at us, threads of resignation in his voice mixed with dry humor.

"Anybody want to start with their complaints?" I offered, unashamed now of my gestures with their parents. Rosalie had truly made me feel justified in helping Angela this way.

"No," Katie wryly deferred.

"I guess we sort of deserve it for leaving Ang hanging," Austin sighed.

"Sorry, Ang," Ben added contritely.

"Yeah, we could have been cooler about it," Conner added reasonably.

"It's okay," Angela shrugged it all off in a heartbeat, to which I just shook my head fondly. Trust Angela to let it go so quickly.

"All right, then," I concluded the preemptive talk and clapped my hands together eagerly. "We have a Christmas party to get working on. I've got some ideas for the decorations, but I want your ideas first. What would make this party fun for you guys? What doesn't work from last year or the years before that?"

"Well… BINGO is boring?" Lee remarked tentatively, leaving the eight of us laughing as we finally got into the discussion.

Many ideas flooded the table, so much so that it was rare for me to stop writing notes and suggestions, therefore I had less ability to pay attention to Jessica's interactions with others. What little I did see told me that no one in our friend circle had jumpstarted Jessica's unsure behavior. If they had, she would have been more focused on them – as it was, the dark-haired girl hardly noticed any of us beyond making sure no one else saw her catalog too closely. Seeing as Conner sat right there, I should have expected Jessica's behavior and understood it. Yet something was off and I couldn't quite pinpoint what.

At the end of the meeting, I had pages and pages of ideas, most of them unfeasible for a simple party such as this, but it was good to see everyone opening up their minds and thinking creatively for a change. Stagnancy did nothing useful for anyone – and every teen I knew would need creativity and adaptability to survive adulthood.

By the time we all parted ways, I still hadn't determined the real issue behind Jessica's behavior or even what person or people it might relate to. Heaving a sigh, I let the subject go once Jessica headed back inside her house and I headed back towards the Webers' place.

Considering our great task of going through the group's brainstorming to determine the best plan of action, Angela and I agreed that staying over one or the other's house would be a great idea. Ever wary of revealing too much of the Cullens' world, I easily fell into the familiar habit of staying over the Webers' house for the night, rather than offering the Cullen house.

"Hi, Ray," Dale and Julie echoed each other as I entered the front door behind Angela.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Weber," I greeted the typically kind parents neutrally.

As Carlisle was often forced to remind me where it concerned my human friends, it wasn't really my business to correct parenting techniques, no matter how much I disagreed with them. Angela's situation took a little more work than most, as I knew she deserved all fairness and kindness. Granted, I couldn't help but believe Dale and Julie would take over if Angela faced a crisis and couldn't get it all done in time, but I really didn't have that as fact on file.

"Another sleepover?" Julie chuckled teasingly, sincerely unbothered.

"Just Ray," Angela hesitated slightly, barely enough to draw her parents' attention.

"What's wrong?" Dale asked of his eldest child concernedly.

"Nothing," Angela shrugged lightly.

I didn't precisely know my place in the moment, so I remained silent until I felt the urge to engage.

"Angie, we've gone over this," Dale instructed his daughter, tilting his head expectantly.

Sighing quietly, Angela confessed, "Ray is helping me get the party together."

"I thought we said _you_ were supposed to do it by leading your other friends?" Julie countered, loving yet foolishly disciplinary in nature for an infraction that didn't exist.

"Everyone _is_ helping now," Angela remarked, turning quietly glum.

"My grandpa always said that sometimes, the best lesson you can learn is to ask for help," I remarked, speaking only the plain truth from my history as I stepped into the fray based on a sudden urging from my special ability. "Whether it's praying to God or asking a friend to lend a hand, there's nothing wrong with reaching out when you feel lost or overwhelmed."

"Ray, I appreciate your concern for Angela. You're a wonderful friend," Angela's mother cut in before stopping me firmly, "but this isn't really you're place to speak."

Monumental effort became necessary to prevent myself crossing a line in response to Julie Weber's remark; I knew she meant it kindly and fairly as any parent could manage. Children and teens didn't speak like equals with parents and guardians. My even keel discussions and debates with Carlisle and Esme stood quite separate from my façade as Carlisle's teenage niece. I had to remind myself of my supposed sixteen years compared to the twenty-one years I actually had lived, as well as all I had lost and endured in my comparably short life.

Breathing deeply and slowly, I remembered the agreement I had made with a certain vampire before my phone calls to friends' parents on Tuesday night. It appeared that agreement might be necessary after all.

In the short span of seconds that passed, I also tapped into my gift and found myself justified once again. Settled in my mind over the subject, I nodded to the cautiously waiting Dale and Julie.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," I allowed, calm and patient as I could muster under the circumstances.

For having spoken in the first place, I wasn't prepared to apologize. My gift had made it very clear I was meant to intervene for some reason and I had learned to trust that instinct, even when unfortunate events might also result from it.

Caught a little off guard, Dale and Julie both sat back in awkward comprehension for a few minutes. Angela began biting her lip as the silence drew on, ever worried over what was going to happen.

"I can accept that, Mireille," Dale finally decided fairly, to which Julie nodded. "Why don't you two head up and settle in? Now that everyone's working together on the party, I guess we don't have a right to stop that from continuing."

Angela breathed a little sigh of relief and stayed quiet as we made our way upstairs to her vibrantly colored room. The familiar pink, orange, and yellow space felt like a breath of fresh air after the small confrontation with the Webers in the living room.

"Sorry that happened," Angela murmured sincerely, shrugging a little as I set my sleeping bag, tote, and purse down by the bay window as I always did.

"I'll be fine," I chuckled lightly, taking out the notes and plans we had already started at the diner with our friends.

"I'm sure you will, Ray," Angela agreed knowingly, allowing the subject to drop while we planned and designed as much of the hospital Christmas party as we were able to without actually stepping into the church.

Our one issue during planning became allocation of funds. We had thoroughly planned out the type and value of decorations, food, servingware, and tableware through the vendor the hospital arranged for the Webers to use every year. Overjoyed at planning ourselves just under the hospital's approved budget, Angela and I moved to place the order, but upon reaching the final submission, our prices went far above what we'd seen in the company catalog.

Confused, I checked the date on the book, only to find it was three years out of date. Either the catalog prices had remained miraculously unchanged the last three years, which I strongly doubted, or Dale and Julie had remained severely under budget for previous Christmases. Considering the lackluster decorations every one of my peers complained about, I assumed the latter reason took precedence.

With a broad roll of my eyes, I tossed the useless catalog aside, canceled our order, and requested a free updated catalog for the hospital's account. That finished, I settled in with Angela to begin determining what we could now afford based on the updated price list, starting with the all-essential tableware and servingware.

"That's not enough to fill out every table and have extras," Angela worried over the amount of tableware we had cut back in order to accommodate a few decorations. Cups, napkins, plates, and cutlery had been the greatest price increase and it showed quite vividly. "We barely have anything to decorate with now."

"What about the decorations from last year?" I asked, biting my bottom lip reluctantly. Whatever changes we had been tasked with arranging to improve the party, it was all for naught if we reused the same items everyone had complained of.

"The hospital threw them out," Angela sighed. "I asked about reusing them when I called and made our supply list. They prefer to buy new each year, as long as it stays within the budget. My parents have never gone over, so…"

"Excellent," I remarked sardonically, sighing myself at the dilemma presented to us. Sitting hard against the back of the chair, I wondered for a long moment what to do, the same as Angela beside me.

There weren't many options I preferred, particularly the idea of asking around town for money or decoration donations so late in the game. Of the many ideas that rushed through my mind, the most viable really was asking the hospital administration for a budget increase.

Cringing at the knowledge of what they would probably say to such a request when they already stuck to such a tight annual budget, I wilted at the very idea of asking.

A glance at the clock proved it was far too late to call at the present time anyway, and I felt a moment's relief at the reprieve.

"I don't think there's much we can do right now, Ang," I informed the much-taller girl calmly. "Let's just sleep on it. If no new ideas hit us in the morning, I'll call the hospital and see what they say about the budget."

Groaning quietly over the lasting conundrum, Angela nodded unhappily and quietly replied, "Okay. I guess there's not much else we can do."

"Not really," I shrugged helplessly.

"All right," the honey-haired girl sighed again, this time with far greater acceptance as she stood to grab her pajamas off the bed. "I'm going to change, then. You want to use the bathroom this time? I can change out here."

Amused by the standard question, I moved to pick up my own pajamas and answered, "Sure. I think it's better – just in case Josh and Isaac run in here unannounced. It's probably not as traumatizing if they run in on you versus running in on me."

"Yeah, it's probably safer that way, after all these years," Angela laughed as I made my way into the bathroom to get ready for one of my typically sleepless nights at a friend's house.

Although I barely slept three hours before waking again, I opened my eyes lucidly, as if I'd never needed to sleep at all.

Waiting for dawn and Angela's wakefulness before actually rising for the day, I settled into deep thought as I always did during these hours without sleep. Ever faithful to its own causes, my brain traveled back to those irrepressible doubts I tried so hard not to think about.

What am I doing here? Why me?

I didn't fool myself that those horrendously useless questions would build anything positive for my future. Indeed, the questions bore no resolute purpose other than to temper my joy living every day I was given in Forks.

Yet I had tried thousands of times over the summer and fall to disarm the doubts – all to no avail.

Heaving a near-silent sigh in the quiet of Angela's comfortable, normal teenage atmosphere, I consciously rerouted my own thoughts to something less damaging.

First was to imagine my conversation with the hospital administration. If I needed it, Carlisle would help me, and they loved him at the hospital, so that would surely help. It might not look as well on the Webers, since they had failed to check the date on the catalog they obtained from the hospital, but I highly doubted it would prevent future parties at Pastor Weber's church. Besides, I had already ordered a new one, so it wouldn't happen again.

I hadn't thought too much further than how to properly and succinctly outline the situation over the phone when Angela began to stir and a soft, familiar triple knock came on the door. Mrs. Weber had a very distinct manner of knocking I had long ago set in my memory.

"Morning," Julie announced softly as she leaned her head in the doorway, all too used to seeing my wide awake visage well before anyone else.

"Morning, Mrs. Weber," I whispered so as not to wake Angela.

"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes," the mother of three explained, another standard practice whenever I slept over the Webers' house. "Let Angie know when she gets up, okay?"

Nodding was all the response I needed to give before Julie left the room satisfied and I rose to monopolize the bathroom and get ready.

With a red stripe down each sleeve and black and white stripes at the cuffs and collar, my pink sweater seemed brighter than I expected. Even being matched to black sweatpants didn't help, seeing as there were still red and white stripes along the side. The most subdued part of the outfit was the black and white loafers on my feet.

Shrugging it off as part of my own quirky personal style, I stepped from the bathroom and refused to give it another thought. It didn’t take long for Angela to wake afterward, already halfway on the road to opening her eyes.

Once Angela woke up enough to change into a much more subdued blue-themed outfit of striped sweater and jeans, we headed down to breakfast with a few brief words about our situation while Angela's parents couldn't hear us.

"I'll just get Carlisle and Esme's opinion and then call," I offered reasonably. "If your parents ask how it's going, just tell them we're still looking at options. It's the truth, anyway."

"Thanks, Ray," Angela sighed in relief. "I'm sorry I'm not better help with this."

"No worries. I said that's what friends are for," I confirmed with a smile when we finally stepped off the stairs and went in to breakfast.

Back at the Cullens' house a few hours later, after spending some free time watching morning cartoons with Angela and her boisterous brothers, I prepared myself to ask Carlisle the huge favor of talking with administration about the party budget.

Before I could head up to the doctor's study with my request, I came upon Alice, Esme, and Emmett in the dining area, working on the homemade Christmas decorations we had all agreed upon making this year. My own handmade decorations had already been completed and stored early, thankfully, but it appeared mother and children had taken on a whole new batch to put up.

Watching Alice glue red and green pom poms to each leaflet of a pinecone, I suddenly faced a glorious epiphany of how to aid our budget woes for the hospital party.

Excited beyond measure by the sudden brainchild, I didn't even greet Edward and Emmett when they first greeted me, leading everyone else to stare as I whipped out my cell phone and dialed the administrator's number. Carlisle had added it as a precaution when I first received my phone the previous Christmas.

"Mireille, what are you…?" Esme inquired with utmost confusion, brows furrowed.

Holding up one finger to ask her patience, I took a breath when the phone clicked on.

"Arthur Walsh speaking."

"Hi, Dr. Walsh, this is Mireille Whitlock," I greeted the administrator rather nervously.

"Mireille, how are you doing?" The doctor responded in audible surprise. "I was just talking to your uncle, actually. He wants to know if everything is all right?"

"Mostly," I answered worriedly. "Is everything all right there?"

Joint laughter sounded in the background of the call and I released a laughing breath that I was overreacting. Carlisle sounded perfectly happy.

"Carlisle is just fine," Dr. Walsh consoled me amusedly. "We're working on schedules, that's all."

"Oh. Sorry," I mumbled awkwardly, ignoring Edward's humor at the piano and Esme's affectionate exasperation as she settled beside me on the sofa.

"Not at all," the administrator assured me easily. "Now what can I help you with?"

"Well, you see, Mr. and Mrs. Weber have Angela working on the Hospital Christmas Party this year," I explained first off. "And I'm helping her out, along with a group of our friends. But we've realized the prices in the catalog are more expensive that we can afford with the current budget. If we get everything we'd like, at least."

"Ah, you want to increase the budget for the party?" Dr. Walsh assumed, a new tension filling his voice. As I had suspected, budgets were probably strapped enough as it was.

Forever glad I hadn't gone that route, I instantly refuted the idea, "Actually, I thought it would be better if we all made the decorations by hand. The costs are much lower that way. Plus it's a lot of fun working together like that. The only problem is that you're budget is arranged directly through the ordering company and to do what I'm talking about, we'd really need funds in hand. We could buy the pre-made things like cups or plates through the website and the rest in store for the crafty projects. Would that be okay?"

For a number of moments, Dr. Walsh went quiet save a few words with Carlisle I couldn't understand over the phone. Worrying my lip as I waited for an answer, I nearly bit into the pink flesh there when the administrator popped back on the line.

“Mireille, I think that’s an excellent idea,” the doctor finally agreed, clearly more at peace judging from the gentler tone of his voice. “I’m going to give Carlisle a purchasing card and he’ll be in charge of it while you and Angela buy your supplies. How does that sound?”

"That's sounds wonderful, Dr. Walsh!" I exclaimed excitedly. "Thank you so much!"

Chuckling along with Carlisle at my enthusiasm, the administrator replied, "You're welcome, Mireille. Good luck."

As I ended the call, Esme laughed lightly at my silliness and at last remarking teasingly, “I suppose I shouldn’t have worried about your intentions.”

“You’ve certainly loaded yourself up with people and projects lately,” Alice considered with an amused smile.

“Just as long as a certain wolf-in-training doesn’t jump on top of that load,” I offered with a roll of blue eyes.

I should have known better than to tempt fate, really, but obviously I hadn’t learned my lesson. If thirty seconds passed before my cell phone next rang, I would have been thoroughly shocked.

Glancing at the screen, my features froze, but from the corner of my eye, I noticed Edward trying very hard not to laugh.

"Shut up, Edward," I remarked without even fully looking at him, bringing muffled laughter from the family as my ringing cell phone cut off abruptly.

"I didn't say a damn thing," Edward muttered humorously, not at all disturbed by my accusatory insinuation and bringing deeper laughter from his siblings and parents over the ringing of a new phone call.

"Like you aren't thinking it?" I grumbled rhetorically under my breath, knowing Edward's sense of humor all too well.

The bronze-haired vampire laughed out loud as I finally picked up Jacob's second call in as many minutes.

"What?" I snapped rather rudely and abruptly before the Quileute boy could even speak.

"Oooooh, listen to the little cougar growl," Jacob responded as if afraid, though his voice took on an utterly teasing tone full of laughter. "Why do I have a feeling you'll always greet me like that?"

"What do you want now, Jacob?" I spoke resignedly, ending with a weary sigh. I very strongly desired to pinch the bridge of my nose as Carlisle and Edward often did, but found no energy to do so.

"I want to talk to you," Jacob announced as if it was the plainest thing in the world. "In person."

"No can do," I insisted forcibly. "Last time we met in person, it ended with someone trying to separate me from the only loved ones I have left. I'm not putting me or my family in that position a—"

"Not at the reservation," Jacob cut in, sounding as though he had rolled his eyes. "Somewhere out in town so we don't get the whole 'you should leave your family' gig again. That was just crazy. So what do you say?"

"No," I refused with a hard sigh of frustration. When Edward and I had imagined Jacob coming back into contact with me, it wasn't quite so soon – we really should have known better.

Over and over again, the world appeared intent on proving how adept we all were at failing to ‘know better’ about anything and everything. I wished futilely it would just leave us alone for a little while.

“Nobody from the rez, Mireille,” Jacob pressed in the wake of my distinct refusals. “It would just be in town. Closer to your family than mine, so you’re safe. Maybe the library or something.”

“I’m not meeting you and that’s final,” I pushed more firmly than ever before, desperately in search of some relief from the pressures my Quileute friendships brought. “Goodbye, Jacob.”

"Wait—" Jacob attempted speech again, but I quickly hung up before he could do so.

Except for Rose, the rest of the family stared with lifted brows at my unexpected gesture. Even Edward appeared a little stunned, and he had been listening to my thoughts the entire time.

"Based on our recent history, Jacob might very well have convinced me to change my mind," I explained guiltily. "I think it's still a little too soon for that."

"Maybe you're right," Edward shrugged, infinitely more serious in nature as he recalled the unhappy memories of that night at the reservation right along with me.

For all that Jacob, Leah, Quil, Embry, and even Seth had proven to want real friendship, that night at the reservation had been a frustrating and disheartening evening I never wanted to repeat again, if at all possible within the realm of reality.

* * *


	8. Chapter 7: Advantage

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Notes:  
** Truly, I've been so lucky to gain the wonderful reviewers I have. Thank you so much for all of your discussion on the story!

**Previously** – Angela called Mir and told of being coerced into airing teens' complaints. The Webers required Angela to lead the teens in making the changes they want to see. Teens refused to help and Angela scared of failing. Mir orchestrated teens' help and set up planning meet. Mir worried she was too manipulative. Rose comforted Mir that she was being a good friend and not a schemer. Jessica acted suspicious and Mir tried to determine the problem. Teens met to plan for Hospital Christmas Party. The Webers realized Angela asked for Mir's help and Mir defended Angela. Mir stayed the night at Angela's and planned the party with her. Catalog out of date and Mir/Angela stuck on what to do. Mir went to Cullen home and realized party could be DIY to save costs. Mir called hospital administrator to ask permission and he agreed. Carlisle given purchasing card so Mir/Angela can buy supplies. Jacob called Mir and she refused to see him. Edward and Mir relived her memories of the Quileute bonfire.

> **Chapter 7: Advantage**

When it became clear that a refused phone call wouldn't stop Jacob Black from attempting to call me again, as well as leaving several different messages, I had heaved a breath and actually – finally – listened to the messages prior to leaving to do a little Christmas shopping just before lunch.

Edward laughed himself sick over my reluctance and the dirty look I offered in response to his high humor.

"Imagine Tanya's constant advances, and then laugh," I reproached the bronze-haired vampire severely as Jacob's first message began to replay on the voicemail. Alice giggled across the room at the mention of Tanya's intentions towards her brother.

Edward only laughed harder in reply, eliciting a far more disgusted expression on my features until the seventeen-year-old at last restrained himself enough to explain, "Entirely different circumstances."

"Mainly because Jacob isn't trying to notch a bedpost," I muttered as much to myself as to my vampire friends.

Edward exploded with such powerful, stomach-bursting laughter that I would have been concerned for a human in his shoes. Rolling eyes to the ceiling, I exhaled a long-suffering sigh and emitted my standard response.

"Shut up, Edward."

No amount of irritation from me would dampen the musical vampire, however, and he continued to find things to laugh over as we both heard Jacob's messages play out to the end. Fed up with the ridiculous swath of remarks such as 'come on' and 'don't be paranoid' from Jacob's voicemails, I deleted them all and shook my head at his still very young actions.

"Going shopping after all?" Alice teased me when I picked up my coat, the tiny vampire barely retaining her amusement at my expense.

"Well, not with you, shrimpy," I sniffed condescendingly. Only with someone as tiny as Alice could I get away with that remark when I was so short myself, although by the roll of her half-dark eyes, the pixielike woman disagreed quite strongly.

"That's just fine… stilts," Alice retorted, returning to her designing wholly undisturbed by my attitude.

Edward chortled, hardly withholding the sound with my glare boring the side of his head.

"Ugh, I'm gone," I murmured, heading to the front door with a kind of relief.

"Where to?" Esme's voice caught me before I could leave, the motherly concern buried in her question making me smile in spite of myself.

"Just in town at first," I answered truthfully. "Then maybe Olympia for a little bit. I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Good. You be careful, hear me?" Esme insisted firmly, brooking no nonsense.

My smile broadened helplessly. "Okay, Esme. I promise I will be."

While I originally expected my local shopping venture to be rather useless, I still allowed disappointment to hit me when I realized how little Forks' small stores had available in the way of my Christmas hopes.

Shaking away the disappointment, I decided to get back in the car, walking out of my last stop – the grocery store – very pensively. Having driven to Olympia so often for self-defense training with Daniel, I had learned a good deal about the city's shopping locales, so it was with thoughts of my next destinations already playing out in my mind that I stepped onto the pavement.

Releasing an _oomph!_ as I knocked into someone quite abruptly, I caught myself before I fell backward and whipped my head up to see who I had run into.

"Hi, Ray!" Katie, of all people, waved with a toothy smile, her companion offering a smug expression for his success.

Jacob Black just didn't give up.

In the books pursuing Bella or, more frustratingly, pursuing a friend in this new reality, Jacob certainly had a huge store of determination. As to whether or not that was a personal strength or a character flaw, I had yet to determine. Either I was growing to like Jacob more – or he was beginning to annoy me more. I wasn't entirely sure which statement better met my criteria.

"Hello, Katie," I greeted the redhead, a slight distance entering my voice. Katie Marshall knew perfectly well how much I hated hers and Jessica's matchmaking, but there we stood with Jacob Black in the middle of us and Katie obviously taking advantage of a moment to match and make as cool as you please.

Turning to side-eye the boy in question, I nodded once and merely said, "Black."

"Whitlock," Jacob retorted to my simple, icy greeting, clearly unimpressed.

"I just wanted to say hi," Katie shrugged, still wearing that stupid smile as she added with a tiny giggle, "I'll leave you two alone now. Bye."

Before I could offer another word, Katie fairly well skipped back into the library, which sat adjacent the grocery store. Presumably she had been waiting on one of her parents to leave, but whatever her purpose, she was gone like the wind and left me with Jacob and all his persistence.

"Are you going to ignore me for the rest of our lives?" Jacob prompted unconcernedly, hands thrust into his pockets quite comfortably.

It seemed to me that in a mere month of time, all the awkwardness had gone away from Jacob rather quickly. Even at the bonfire the previous week, I couldn't remember the fourteen-year-old stumbling except for once. Suspecting – or perhaps _worrying_ was the better term – of the underlying preemptive reasons for such a rapid loss of clumsy teenage growth, I neglected to immediately answer Jacob's inquiry, instead pursing my lips in thought.

"There isn't anybody from the rez here," Jacob argued against my silent contemplation, sounding rational for a change. More mature than when I last spoke to him, even in his messages.

"And come on, it's not like I'm not asking to start sharing a bunk bed in your house…"

Well, admittedly, that last statement ruined the maturity I had internally praised just a moment before, but… Seeing just how sincerely Jacob wanted to get away from the judgment of his father and Sam's pack, if only to have a friend… I blew my tension out along with a huff of air and moved on to Christmas Shopping Plan B with a grain of salt.

When I gestured wordlessly to the passenger door, Jacob let out a _whoop_ of victory and jogged around the side to climb in all too gleefully. Lifting my eyes to the cloud-covered heavens above, I offered a silent prayer that Jacob's presence with me in Olympia wouldn't cause a battalion of troubles to overtake us all upon my return that evening – or before.

Fumbling a moment with possible repercussions, I decided to take Edward's advice from our Halloween shopping trip before the trick-or-treating venture in Forks. Have fun with friends and enjoy the moment was really what his words all boiled down to. As he had said… that's part of what being human is all about.

Rain clouds appeared to move a little further away from the place I stood, even as my special ability rang with certainty.

Accepting that was as good of a sign as I would ever receive, I shrugged and turned to climb in the driver's side and drive out of town, taking the highway towards Olympia while Jacob happily chattered about recent goings-on at the reservation since my last – and only – visit.

"Seth still has his DVD," the fourteen-year-old brought up casually after a while of mostly pointless gabbing.

Suspecting a ploy to calm me down somewhat before the heart of the conversation came into play, I forced blue eyes to stay put rather than rolling towards the ceiling.

"Leah keeps him on his toes about when he watches it," Jacob expanded humorously. "Not that Seth has all that much time with school, friends, and family occupying his days, but the kid sure tries to watch it whenever he can."

"He did say _Back to the Future_ was his favorite," I responded simply, a smile covering my face as I recalled the adorable bonding between Edward and Seth over the movie in question.

"Boy, is it ever!" Jacob huffed a chuckle. "Does Edward really love it like he says? Or was he just being nice to Seth?"

"No, he really does like it," I answered honestly of the seventeen-year-old. "He wouldn't have said so if it wasn't true."

"That's cool," Jacob nodded. "I mean, it would have been cool even if Edward _was_ just being nice, but it's great he can really talk to Seth about the movie without making stuff up."

"Edward has a huge array of interests, really," I admitted for reasons unknown to me. It seemed the right comment to make, but I didn't know why. "That makes it both difficult and easy to buy Christmas gifts for him."

Understanding lit up on Jacob's features. "Is that why we're going to Olympia right now?"

"Yes, I have some Christmas shopping yet to do," I agreed. "Do you mind?"

"Nah. Actually, I'm glad I brought my money now," Jacob offered happily. "It can be tough to buy Quil and Embry something good for Christmas. Forks and La Push don't have a great selection, but you probably know that already."

"Well, about Forks anyway," I shrugged resignedly at the way everyone had parted on the beach.

"I still can't believe they ruined the bonfire like that," Jacob grumbled, crossing his arms irritably. "Especially over their dumb stories. Emily Young helping them out was even worse. I can't believe she did that. Even after what happened with her, Leah, and Sam, I didn't expect Emily to do something so awful. She seemed okay, you know? And the way they talked about breaking you away from your family… God, that was wrong."

Inhaling a sharp breath, I allowed a tiny exhale to leave my throat as realization washed over me. Perhaps the pack had considered a more physical approach than what ended up occurring… Did Jacob mean what he thought? I hoped and prayed not, but it never hurt to make sure.

"Yes, they certainly tried to change me," I concurred more casually than I felt. "They thought I was living in ignorance, so they tried to inform me of what they believe is the truth and convince me to leave. It could have been worse, though, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm glad that's all they were planning," Jacob decided as he digested my description of that night. "They weren't talking about kidnapping you, so at least they aren't as obsessed with the legends _that_ bad."

Releasing the breath pent up in my lungs, I settled far more relaxed into my seat. "That's a good point."

Jacob spent the rest of the ride to Olympia grumbling over the machinations of his friends, family, and future pack-mates (not that he knew that), leaving me smiling secretively over his teenage behavior the whole way to the first stop on my list.

The mall I had chosen wasn't the largest in the city, but it featured unusual storefronts I had long wanted to browse when I had a spare moment. Those few express trips with Alice and Rosalie just hadn't cut it for a window shopper like me.

Once out in the busy cluster of pre-Thanksgiving shopping, Jacob eased from his complaints and slowly accommodated himself to an exciting day away from home. Even as we walked in the first exterior door and started to stare at the colorful, blossoming businesses, I appreciated my companion's simple appreciation of the world. It was one major reason I did actually enjoy spending time with Jacob – he liked the simple things in life.

This friendship, strange and unintended though it had been, was truly enjoyable for the most part.

But would it be an advantage? I chided myself for thinking like a chess master, but couldn't prevent the thought swimming in my head. Would the kinship of Jacob Black assist everyone's inevitable efforts to bring peace between Quileutes and Cullens?

Or would Jacob's friendship become a pestilent disadvantage to all attempts at calming the storm – a fly in the ointment, as it were?

An entirely new method of using my special ability cropped up, quite unexpectedly, as the questions raged in my head. While I could hardly know the answer to such curiosities so early in the game, I couldn't help asking them of my brain – of fate itself, even.

Normally, when using my gift, I envisioned the scenario playing out step by step, as close as I could possibly imagine it occurring when the time came. All faces and objects, all significant decisions and actions, running forward in the most logical path they would likely take once the ball began to roll.

Yet this was completely different.

In this case, there wasn't a single experience or incident I could conceptualize in my mind's eye. There were no signs of what specific circumstances would formulate the ultimate ending to my curious wonderings. I had no clues who would say what or step which direction or what feelings would pop into existence when action was taken.

The determiner of Jacob's advantageousness – or lack there of, if fate willed it so – was a blank slate. Many events would have to be put into motion, many actions would have to be taken, and many decisions would have to be made, before such an environment became reality.

Still… hadn't I already felt an encounter with Maria would be in my future somehow? I had no idea how the scenario with Jacob's friendship would later form in real life, just as I had no idea how my apparent future meeting with Jasper's creator would turn out. And yet somehow I had still felt the inevitability of that destined meeting with Maria.

While Jacob perused and chattered about inane things any teenager would find to be of interest, I set to the task of asking myself how Jacob's persistence attachment would affect future peace.

Immediate challenge overwhelmed my thoughts, for there was little to base my investigations on. If my question was a story I had written, it would be full of plot holes and inconsistencies. With Maria, I had simply felt informed of the fated experience without any prompting. Now that I had to prompt the information I desired, I had no idea how to do so without some kind of detailed foundation of what might occur.

Bullying my mind into the fragmented and uncertain quandary helped nothing, but left me increasingly frustrated as Jacob and I walked slowly along the corridors of the mall with no apparent destination in mind. Grateful as I was for Jacob's utter distraction in the colorful cavalcade of stores, it didn't assist me in answering the question I asked of myself.

Fed up after fifteen long minutes battling a leading question with no data to support it or even encourage it, I finally stopped trying to gain any insight from my peculiar gift when a headache threatened to further foul up my mood.

Lucky that I had stopped just as Jacob turned to look at me and queried, "What place are you headed in here? I know there's no way you planned to let me roam around looking shell-shocked… Well, maybe you would do that, actually. Are you still mad about me calling you so many times and then showing up like I did?"

Startled by the rapid-fire spiel of words, I forced my eyes onto Jacob's dark orbs and settled for a bland reply, "I'm not mad."

"That's good," Jacob half laughed, scratching his neck a little awkwardly. "So where are you going first?"

"Oh, um… it's like a… a novelty store, I guess," I answered more coherently, finally allowing my consternated mental convolutions to die away somewhat. "They have these fascinating ornamentals. You know… unique paperweights and bookends and that sort of thing? I forget the name, but I think it's something to do with the brain."

"Kind of a curiosity shop, then," Jacob translated, a furrow between his dark brows. "Was it called 'Mind Finds' you think?"

"Yes, that's the name," I agreed, nodding more engagingly. "How did you know? I thought you'd never been here…"

"I haven't… but I think we passed it already," the fourteen-year-old hesitantly remarked. "In that other hallway."

"What?"

Wide-eyed, I swung around to view the hanging sign listing each store in the hallway. Sure enough, Mind Finds was nowhere on it.

"Shoot!" I exclaimed irritably. "I didn't realize we walked so far."

"You were super distracted," Jacob apparently felt brave enough to comment, gaining a mischievous streak in his eyes that spanned a mile. "I even threw in something about grizzly bears in the sewers to see if you'd notice…. You didn't, by the way."

Jacob's grin lit up the room by the strength of his amusement over my mindless behavior, easing the tension in my shoulders a little.

"Sorry, I was… trying to figure something out in my head," I alluded, deliberately leaving out any untruthful descriptions of what precisely my figuring focused on.

"Troubles?" the reckless teen wondered concernedly.

"Mostly just the ones you already know about," I offered ruefully, smacking the boy's arm mildly. I supposed it wasn't the whole truth, but it was a large part of it.

"Guess I'm kind of sorry for bugging you so much, then," Jacob laughed more fully, smacking me back just as mildly. "Hey, look at it this way, though… We keep spending time together, we go shop sometimes, we go to parties at each other's place, we give each other birthday and Christmas presents… All that jazz…"

Even as Jacob said it, I could see what he described and a smile lit my face. Simple friendship made life so much better – when it was allowed without a universe full of complications and blockades.

"After a while, my dad starts to get used to it," Jacob went on persuasively, seeming to believe his words more than I had thought him capable of. "He sees I'm happy being friends with you and he thinks… sure, maybe this can be okay. Oh, he wouldn't jump right on with your whole family, but you would grow on him little by little. The honesty and the faith and the way you love your family… it would get under his skin and a long while later, he would start to wonder about Carlisle. If _you're_ this good of a person, maybe the uncle you love so much is really a good guy, too. And of course, anybody can see Esme is everyone's mom even if they aren't her kid. You and me could really start something…. You see how it could turn out if we just keep being friends and stop worrying what they're going to think?"

Reluctantly, I had to admit Jacob made a remarkably convincing argument when he wanted to. There were plenty of missing pieces in this vague vision for the future – miles of potholes in the road, so to speak. All the same, there was something so… fitting… about the path Jacob saw for our friendship. Despite Bella's incoming arrival, it truly felt possible to take baby steps forward with Billy Black because of my friendship to his only son. And of course, Billy's slow change would affect the others in La Push with great influence after a while. Harry and Sue first of all, with the aid of their children's open-mindedness. Sam wouldn't jump on the bandwagon quickly by any means, but through Emily I could see possibilities of kindness and acceptance after a long hard effort. Paul might not change until Sam had done so, but it would work out somehow, surely…

Thunder could have struck me for all the sudden intuition that swamped my mind.

Quite inadvertently, Jacob had shaped enough events in my mind to create a vision of sorts through which I could channel my ability. It was vague, it was uncertain, but it was enough to build on. It was enough to gain the answer I had tried so hard to prompt.

Jacob's friendship would, indeed, be a decided advantage in our endeavor towards peace with the Quileutes.

"You know, Jacob…" I began quietly, an acceptance growing in my voice as I nodded interestedly, "I think you and I have some scheming to do."

Grinning overtook the Quileute teen's features like a sunrise and for the first time since meeting Jacob Black in the local grocery store, I felt a true and abiding sense of acceptance towards our involvement with each others' lives.

Upon the very moment I put the car in park back at the Cullen house, Alice stood beside me with a huge grin and mischief in her blackened gaze.

"Did you already know?" I sighed, albeit with a measure of amusement I couldn't repress.

"What? Of course not!" Alice countered, rolling her eyes with genuine exasperation. "I just love when you're a rebel, Mir. I can't help it."

Allowing devilry to take prominence in my own eyes, I retorted, "It's in your blood, I think. Irony notwithstanding, of course."

Rolling darkened eyes more broadly than before, Alice shook her head and tugged me from the car. "Come on. With that kind of humor, you're becoming as terrible as Bella was in the books. I expected better from you, Mireille Whitlock."

"Do you say that name just because you can?" I pondered, smiling indulgently at the pixielike vampire as I followed her guiding hand out of the driver's side.

"It is my married name, don't you know?" Alice teased, grasping all of my bags before I even stood fully upright.

"No hyphenation?" I considered, lifting a brow in question.

"I don't see why I need to," Alice shrugged. "I like being Mrs. Whitlock."

"Why do I find that so adorable?" I muttered mostly to myself, leaving my tiny friend to bubble up with laughter as we walked into the house. Alice disappeared from the main floor before I blinked twice, hiding my purchases from prying eyes while I removed coat, scarf, and glovers, and settled in to get warm again before the dinner I promised I wouldn't miss.

At school the next day, I didn't even bother glaring at Katie for facilitating my meeting with Jacob, although I still didn't trust her not to do similar things in future. My redheaded friend needed a lot more maturity before that happened.

Jessica still acted incomparably odd for her normal personality, the sensation of suspicion in my chest only increased when I watched Conner try to talk to his girlfriend – such as she was – at lunchtime. The dark-haired girl barely showed any interest and I frowned deeply as her behavior played out more agitatedly as the meal continued.

Conner and Jessica parted ways in less than congenial moods with one another, deepening my frown before Edward inserted himself in my dilemma.

"You have no idea what's going on?" Edward wondered uncomfortably.

Turning with surprise to face the bronze-haired vampire, I considered quite abruptly his mind-reading ability and all that he knew when I had been so confused.

"Don't tell me anything," I delayed Edward before he could elaborate. Shaking my head to waylay his second attempt, I added more clearly, "I don't want you to do anything you feel uncomfortable with. And I know this sort of thing would make you feel that way."

Heaving a sigh, Edward went so far as to ask, "Are you sure?"

"It's sweet that you want to stop my worrying," I answered kindly, keeping my voice low so no one overheard, "but I don't want you to do this. I don't need to know. If the time comes that I do, I'm sure you won't have to be the one to tell me."

"All right," Edward agreed, nodding slowly as he considered my words. "Thank you."

For the rest of the school day, I pushed thoughts of Jessica and Conner out of my mind with great strength, not wanting to unconsciously pressure Edward to help me out by telling what he knew.

When we arrived back at the Cullen house, any and all thoughts of my two human friends completely disappeared from my head without any pushing whatsoever. Carlisle's serious expression made that possible within seconds of walking through the front door.

"What's going on?" I asked immediately, stepping over to the doctor with furrowed brows to lay a hand on his arm.

"I'm afraid we're not yet certain, Mireille," Carlisle responded calmly, features gentling to a more approachable arrangement as he laid his hand over top of mine and tugged me to the sofa where Esme waited nervously.

"Daniel called earlier today," the caramel-haired vampire took up in her husband's stead. "He asked Carlisle to come with you to self-defense this evening. The poor man sounded quite unhappy, but he never told me what he wanted Carlisle there for."

"That's strange," I agreed, lips turning down in a heavy frown. "I hope he's okay."

"Well, he hasn't called off your lessons," Rosalie attempted to reassure me. "That must be a good sign, at least."

"I suppose so," I allowed the assurance to pass untested, although we all knew it probably wasn't true. Daniel wouldn't ask something so odd without a significant reason.

No matter how many ways I imagined the evening playing out, however, I had no real idea and simply stopped my far-fetched imaginings so I could get ready as usual. Carlisle drove us to Olympia in the Mercedes this time, the first instance in a long while I had actually ridden in the familiar vehicle. Regardless the oddity of the coming meeting, I felt a strange sense of rightness being back in the fine leather interior of that sleek black car.

As worried as I felt, the drive passed by in a blur of green leaves and gray skies. Thankfully Jasper didn't bother to control my emotional climate, realizing it was a normal sensation to have and not overwhelming in its intensity. That didn't mean, of course, that the former soldier couldn't take my hand in support throughout the journey. In fact, Jasper kept my hand in his grasp even while heading inside the gym and waiting for Daniel.

By the looks of things, I wasn't the only one my trainer needed serious discussion with. I was drawn with discomfort to the familiar face of a boxing student Daniel had been training much less time than myself. The new trainee left with a sad sort of understanding and a single slip of paper. Anxiously I wondered what awaited us as Dan walked over with a grim face and eyes full of an unexpected emotion – grief.

"Good to see you, Mireille, Jasper," my trainer greeted first, turning to offer Carlisle a handshake. "Dr. Cullen, it's nice to see you again."

"A mutual feeling, Mr. Griffin," Carlisle responded with a tight smile. "Although I'm rather concerned as to why you requested my presence, I must admit."

Exhaling on a deep sigh, Daniel nodded understandingly, gesturing for us all to sit on the chairs around the main training mat. "I know. I'm sorry to say I have some unfortunate news for Mireille and I thought you'd want to be here for her along with your son."

"You thought right," Carlisle affirmed, putting an arm around my shoulders to guide me behind my instructor. Jasper trailed slightly behind even as he continued to grip my hand in brotherly solidarity.

Once we sat, Carlisle and Jasper either side of me and Daniel pulling around a chair opposite, my trainer brushed an agitated hand through his salt-and-pepper hair and promptly explained our dilemma.

"Yesterday, my sister learned she has breast cancer."

After so much build up and worry over what unfortunate news Daniel could possibly have for me, I found myself far from afraid. Sadness grew in my chest instead as I considered the implications of what we had been told.

"I am so sorry," Carlisle spoke first, shaking his head with a heavy sigh. "How advanced is it?"

"Stage three," Daniel nearly sighed the words. "It's looking… pretty bad right now."

"You have to close up shop," I stated knowingly, the fact made all too obvious. "Will you be heading to Georgia?"

"Body Balance closes publicly in a few days and I leave for Atlanta in a week," Daniel agreed sadly, wiping both hands down his face while the news settled between us all. "I wanted to leave right away, but Laura threw a fit over the idea of leaving my students without helping them find new gyms and instructors. I couldn't disappoint her – especially not now. You see, Laura never trusted anyone deeply enough to become close friends. My brother-in-law died in Iraq and they never had any kids. Then our parents died a few years ago in a car accident… I'm all Laura has left."

"If you don't mind my asking, Dan, are you married?" I wondered hesitantly as I considered what else he might be leaving behind in his cross-country move. He didn't seem like he had kids, but I felt like a wife was possible.

Shrugging resignedly, Daniel replied, "I was engaged once, but I'm married to my work. It's always meant so much to me and my family that I prioritized it. My fiancé finally couldn't take the constant battle of spending time without work intruding."

"I'm sorry," I half-smiled with tense features for his difficulty. "That must be rough."

"It's all right, I guess," the tall man smiled more genuinely, albeit with a wan tinge. "If I hadn't been that way, maybe I would have lost sight of that closeness I have with my baby sister and she could have been all alone when this happened."

Offering an even sadder smile for the rationalization of his isolated lifestyle, I merely nodded and let him believe the optimistic take on probable loneliness, all the while admiring his dedication to his family.

"I wish you both all the best," Carlisle remarked with sadness to match mine, stretching out his gloved hand to shake that of the man he'd entrusted with my safety for nearly a year.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen. It's been a pleasure knowing you," Daniel responded, recovering enough to smile more genuinely.

"The feeling is entirely mutual," Carlisle answered with great kindness in his tone.

"And it's been an honor to know you, Jasper," Daniel spoke again, turning to the honey-haired vampire and offering his hand.

"The same, sir," Jasper contended plainly, accepting the handshake with a gloved hand. "Is this the last day for Mireille's lessons, then?"

"I'm sorry to say it is," Daniel concurred, sharing his apologetic gaze among the three of us. "I'm sorry this had to happen. Mireille, I know it's hard to lose a teacher you trust –and it's hard to open up to a new trainer all over again. But I think – and I hope – the instructors I've listed for you will be a smooth transition. They're all skilled at this form of defense, they listen well, and I feel confident they'll only boost the skill level you're already at."

Having said his piece, Daniel handed over a slip of paper with a few names, addresses, and phone numbers listed.

"You don't have to see any of them if you prefer not to," Daniel held back a little. "It's all up to you. If you just want to practice with Jasper every day, you have a strong skill set now and it'll go a long way protecting you. You won't be disadvantaged. If you want to go even further, though, the people on that list are who I recommend."

"Thank you for thinking of my situation so carefully, Dan." I smiled in spite of the gloom I felt, hiding it away from a man who was already going through enough upset as it was. All I had to offer was hope and a promise of care. "I'll be praying for you and Laura."

"Thanks, Ray," Daniel smiled warmly, accepting one last handshake. "Make a great life for yourself, okay?"

"I'll do my best," I laughed a little nervously, hoping fate wouldn't make a mockery of my promise in the end of it all.

Leaving Body Balance that evening seemed like a closed chapter on one part of my life. Some part of my childhood vulnerability had grown up in self-defense – a maturity slowly budding that I used to think I would never achieve.

"Are you all right, Mir?" Carlisle asked gently along the way back to Forks. "I know this must be difficult to leave behind."

"I wish my lessons didn't have to end," I confessed guiltily. "But I recognize what's the most important for Dan – and that's being there for his family – his sister. I understand that."

"I knew you would," Carlisle said simply, smiling kindly at me.

No more words passed between us on the way back, but Jasper gazed upon me with focused eyes until at last we pulled in the winding driveway.

Not paying the leonine vampire any mind, I ignored the elephant in the room and followed Carlisle into the house.

From quiet Alice I received a hug the moment I walked in, the short-haired woman leaving words for another time and instead stepping over to Jasper. Suspecting the tiny vampire knew precisely what weighed on my heart and kept Jasper gazing at me in concern, I smiled to myself at Alice's comprehension and thoughtfulness before heading upstairs.

My thoughts dwelled on the sudden removal of a safe zone in my life – a place and a person with whom I had founded a part of my newer, better self. Mourning the loss of this part of my life, I wondered what would happen now that my instruction was over. Daniel had left options to observe, yet I felt deeply uncertain of my path now – at least where it concerned self-defense.

Unsurprisingly as I dropped my purse and gym bag on the bed, Edward appeared in a breath of air, giving me no such waiting quarter as his small sister had done.

"Do you wish to paint?" Edward assumed knowledgeably, leaving me to marvel at his accurate deduction.

"How did you know?" I had to ask, amazed.

"This is a large change for you," the lean vampire responded with a casual tilt of his head. "You have a good deal to think on right now – things that will require a lot of thought to proceed. Whenever you need to think deeply in such a way, you almost always feel a desire to paint. It helps you open your mind to broader possibilities."

Still stunningly caught off guard, I only found enough wherewithal to reply, "Thank you."

Catching the reason for my gratitude from the fleeting thoughts flooding my mind, Edward smiled a quiet sort of smile – a little upturn of the lips with a hint of self-effacing doubt and a touch of shy appreciation.

While Edward Cullen was hardly the shy type, there were times – not nearly as few and far between as everyone probably believed – when the swiftest of the Cullens displayed a gentle humility that outshone even the kindest of starlight.

"Stop with your poetic designs, Mireille," Edward retorted almost beneath his breath, smirking more in line with his standard snarky confidence as he backed away from the sweet little puttering notions in my brain.

"Whatever you say, Edward," I murmured in return, shrugging without regret for my observations, but changing the subject anyway, "I'm not sure what I want to paint, but would you go with me? I know no one is going to let me go by myself even in daylight and I certainly don't want to get lost out in these woods anyway."

"You certainly won't go alone," Edward agreed, offering a roll of his dark eyes at the very idea. "Would you like Esme to put supplies together for you?"

"That would be kind of her," I confirmed with a smile, knowing Esme could hear us perfectly well. She had, in all likelihood, mentally prompted Edward to ask in the first place.

"You should put on something a little more rugged, most likely," the eternal seventeen-year-old suggested, glancing critically over my leggings and thin flats.

"I suppose you're right," I allowed the remark to go untested. Truly, my clothes weren't warm enough for extended time spent outdoors in the middle of November. Accepting the situation, I changed into a striped sweater of navy, maroon, and powder blue with a maroon drape cardigan over top, and blue jeans.

"Hopefully it's drier out there than last week," I commented to Edward on the way down the stairs, eyeing my navy suede ankle boots and navy belted coat in the hope they wouldn't get dirtied up beyond repair, but it was rather inevitable in the woods. "Oh well. It's not like I'll ever wear them again."

Loud scoffing drew my attention up to Alice as she and Jasper passed us at the second floor landing.

"Don't ever let me hear _that_ again," the tiny woman threatened superfluously, bringing joint laughter from Jasper and Edward.

I didn't dare respond, clamping my mouth shut so as to avoid a snippy battle of words. Edward laughed again at my mental decision, deliberately ignoring Alice's second hissed retort, "And stop that, Edward!"

At the bottom the of the stairs, Esme waited with an indulgent smile for the antics of her children, in addition to a set of blank canvases of varying sizes and a bag of painting supplies. Edward took the latter two while grinning over the former, and led me out the glass doors at the back of the house.

"You still don't like to ride on our backs, do you?" the bronze-haired vampire clarified amusedly.

"No," I settled bluntly, bringing a chuckle from Edward and a booming laugh from Emmett that penetrated the glass just enough for me to hear it.

Continuing to chuckle, Edward rapidly lifted me up and quickly instructed, "Point where you want to go."

"Pick something interesting," I told him spontaneously. Glancing wildly around, I swiftly threw out my hand in a direction I had no memory of ever encountering with the Cullens.

In less than a blink, we were off and the word blurred before my eyes. Yet finding difficulty with moving at such speeds, I swept my head against Edward's shoulder and didn't lift it until my companion cleared the air.

"We've stopped now," the lean vampire explained, snorting with humor when I released a thick sigh of relief and finally lifted my head. Ever aware of my body's rebelliousness after such a run, Edward held me up until my legs recovered enough to do the job on their own.

"Where are we?" I wondered aloud, not so much asking directly as speaking my curiosity as I stared at the downed tree trunks bearing down on one half of the area in which we stood.

"Emmett and Jasper sparred here a few weeks ago," Edward informed me humorously. "It's the only thing I know in the direction you pointed. I thought the broken trees would give you an interesting subject to paint – and I… well, I hoped the thought of them sparring like fools might cheer you up a little."

"I'll accept that," I grinned a little half-heartedly, letting Edward's intentions have their way for a time while I set up my art tools and easel in the gathering dusk.

"Tell me you brought gloves," Edward pressed with a sudden scoff of annoyance.

"I don't paint well with gloves on," I argued calmly, arranging the browns, greens, and other neutrals foremost on my palette.

"You won't paint at all if you don't protect your hands, Mireille," Edward argued firmly, opening his mouth to go on further when a blur arrived beside us with palms up.

"I should have known you'd do something like this," I greeted the psychic woman less than cordially, sighing with minor irritability over the gloves she handed to Edward's waiting grasp.

"Usually you understand better what that means," Alice countered far more congenially and disappeared into the darkening woods without another word.

"Hard to argue with a psychic," Edward stated knowingly, smirking once more for good measure.

"Doesn't mean I can't try," I debated pointlessly, already drawn back into the selection of colors for my new painting environment.

Shaking his bronze head exasperatedly, Edward left me to my brush and palette, remaining silent during the remainder of my new artistic endeavor and the complicated slew of thoughts I needed to work through.

As usual, I probably made mountains out of molehills, but that was the way my mentality worked and I simply had to make the best of it and move forward within my limitations.

Daniel had left me with a list of instructors I could choose – people he thought I would do well to learn from if I wanted more in-depth instruction than I had already been given. Now that Daniel's training was no longer an option, I considered the possibility that perhaps – if fate was to be considered as strongly as I had always done in this world – self-defense ended only after I had accomplished the highest level I personally needed to be well-protected in my future.

No evidence of such a portent existed, of course, or at least none that I had yet seen. Nonetheless it was a striking idea and one I couldn't rule out completely.

On the other hand, perhaps Daniel's training had ended because I had learned all I could from him and it was time to push the edges of my skills with someone who could bring me even stronger abilities in defense. This seemed the more likely option, but something held me back from accepting it as well.

In all honesty with myself, I supposed I wasn't entirely sure I truly wanted to move on with any other instructor. Daniel had been handpicked to help with the circumstances of Vanessa's aggressive harassment and attack, and the building of my self-confidence and esteem thereafter. Realistically, I knew I might be simply clinging to the comfort of what I was used to. Even if that were true, though, I genuinely didn't want to build a trusting teacher-student from the ground up all over again. So much already claimed my time and attention in Forks and with the Cullens, especially with Bella's arrival drawing nearer and nearer with each passing day.

At the end of the day, I had training enough to protect myself well – Daniel had told me as much with unerring truthfulness. Outside of a mugging or a street fight or even a situation like Lonnie in Port Angeles, any other circumstance requiring protection would be far beyond my human skills to defeat. Maria, James, Victoria, Aro… every one of them rose above what any human being was capable of practicing. There were other things coming. Life and death decisions and events would soon come that I needed to be prepared to spend my days comprehending and resolving, rather than learning more of a practice I might not need very often – if at all.

"Mireille," Edward intruded upon my deep thoughts, shocking me into dropping a brush halfway through painting one of the fallen tree trunks, a small gasp escaping my lips.

Eyeing the mind-reader in distinct agitation as I recovered, I waited for whatever he desired to say before continuing my work.

"I apologize for interrupting so rudely," the lean vampire sighed, but spoke anyway, "Shouldn't you worry about your own safety before you start worrying about involving yourself in any of those battles? What if you've gone off to finish college or find a special someone or begin a great career by the time Maria or Aro become involved in our lives – if they _ever_ become involved?"

"You can't seriously think I'll leave all of you to face those things without whatever help I can offer," I stated, face a picture of blank disbelief while I stared at the seventeen-year-old in front of me. "Honestly, Edward, you don't seriously think that?"

"A part of me hopes you'll stop focusing selectively on our lives and make your own way in the world," Edward admitted softly, voice a mere murmur of sound.

"Essentially, you want me to leave," I simplified the discussion more quietly than a church mouse scurrying to reach its home in the wall before the cat came along to pounce.

"No, I _don't_ want you to leave, Mireille," Edward instantly refuted with intense force, almost glaring at me for the suggestion. "Please don't mistake me… I like you being here with us. I appreciate your friendship and your complicated logic. I enjoy the way you bubble over with enthusiasm when you're happy and inspire others to be better people. However, I don't want you to become so heavily engrossed in our uncertainties that you never focus on your own happiness."

"I can't imagine leaving for a long while yet, Edward," I nearly whispered the words. "I'm sorry if that bothers you, but please don't pressure me to go before I'm ready. Okay?"

"And I won't," Edward promised finitely. "Just remember to allow for your own future, as Carlisle told you in January. All right?"

"I can try that," I agreed noncommittally, tilting my shoulders uncertainly as I remembered the fierce anxiety I had felt after Angela's first sleepover invitation and Carlisle's sweet, fatherly assurances when I faltered at the thought of becoming so deeply involved in the world of Forks.

Not as satisfied as he had hoped to be, Edward nevertheless dipped his head, a tiny agreement I half feared he wouldn't allow.

"Why do I have the feeling this another rock and a hard place?" Edward muttered, eyes rolling skyward in a friendly way.

A smile crept helplessly onto my unsuspecting features.

"I suppose it's just that… Now let me paint a little more before we go back to the house."

Shaking his bronze head side to side, Edward gave up and simply settled nearby my patient form to wait until steady brush strokes ceased to fall upon woven canvas.

* * *


	9. Chapter 8: Average

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Notes:  
** It's been a few weeks and I apologize again for making everyone wait. It's been a hard chapter to complete. Sort of a mash-up (or so it felt like to me), but hopefully it doesn't read that way, haha. I'm so happy to continue sharing this tale with all of you and I want to reiterate my immense gratitude for your comments, speculation, and love for the characters. Thank you!

**Previously** – Jacob badgered Mir and caught her shopping. Mir  & Jacob to Olympia, Jacob envisioned their friendship, and Mir realized Jacob's involvement is an advantage. Alice admitted liking Mir's rebelliousness & being 'Mrs. Whitlock.' Mir worried of Jess, Edward offered to use gift and tell problem, and Mir stopped Edward telling her. Dan met with Carlisle, Mir, Jazz. Dan explained sister's cancer and ended defense lessons. Edward accompanied Mir painting, Mir considered further defense and decided against. Edward reminded Mir to think of her future and Mir asked him not to pressure.

> **Chapter 8: Average**

For three consecutive days after Daniel had announced the end of my lessons, the time passed in a solid, staid routine of school, homework, and painting in the forest with Edward's presence always nearby. Peace measured out my days, even without self-defense and its calming routine. Attributing the tranquil sensation to moments spent absorbed in paint and brush, I accepted that at some point the absence of my daily training would come back to bite.

"You don't know that," Edward murmured reassuringly beside me as the thoughts milled about in my mind.

Somehow, in my three days of artistic revelry, I had gone from requiring absolute silence and mostly-private contemplation to slowly letting Edward make small comments on the first day. The next day, I found myself replying to Edward's remarks at times. On this, the third day out in the woods, I started initiating conversation myself.

How odd, I thought, that I could paint so keenly and yet engage in a full discussion with Edward at the same time. A by-product, I figured, of so often fighting to re-route my thoughts and decisions that summer when they became darker or less positive than Edward and Alice were used to – at least where it concerned me.

"I might not put good money on it," I confessed to the musical vampire's comment with a shrug, dabbing hints of charcoal gray in the shadowed underbelly of the nearest downed tree trunk, "but I know it's highly likely."

Shaking away the doubt on his features, Edward refrained from further argument, keeping to the tone of serenity I garnered while coloring the canvas under my care.

Regardless the doubts I carried about lasting peacefulness, those three days ambled by with pleasant joy until at last Jasper's birthday rolled around on the nineteenth of November. When we returned from the high school that Friday afternoon, Alice whisked me away for an impromptu talk where Jasper couldn't overhear.

Far out in the woods, Alice finally revealed the need for our discussion.

"You want to have a family chess tournament?" I repeated the tiny vampire's idea with amused irony.

"Only if he actually enjoys the idea, though," Alice wavered hesitantly, quite unlike herself.

Despite the great leap of healing Alice and Jasper had made since their reconciliation in the spring, I wondered if perhaps Alice still felt uncertain at times. Oh, only mildly, but enough to upset small plans such as this one.

"Oh, Mir," Alice finally burst with the underlying purpose of our talk, "will you just use your gift and see if Jazz will actually enjoy a chess match-up like this?"

"Surely you could see his reaction better than I would," I brought up, referencing the tiny vampire's psychic gift disbelievingly. "You can see his face during the event, can't you?"

"Yes, but it's a very still and unremarkable expression," Alice sighed. "He's playing in each match, of course, but that could just be him humoring me or trying not to upset me. And because I'm not entirely certain if I should do it, the vision isn't as set in stone as it usually would be so close to the moment. It's just an unmoving image. There are no real clues to how he really feels about it."

"And of course you can't just _ask_ ," I assumed with a wry release of breath, eyeing the pixielike woman exasperatedly. "That would be far and away too easy, wouldn't it?"

"I want to surprise him," Alice admitted a little defensively. "He insists on no birthday presents, so I have to improvise. Please, Mir?"

"All right, all right, I'll check," I sighed, imbued with more humor than actual annoyance.

Taking in a deep breath of the chill air, I closed my eyes and settled into the imagined sequence of Alice's scenario. I doubted anyone knew yet, so more than likely Alice would make some dramatic announcement of the intended chess matches and the ultimate purpose of celebrating Jasper's birthday.

Good man that Jasper was, he would heave a good-humored sigh and agree to the tournament in spite of not wanting 'gifts' for the day of his human birth. Alice would be ecstatic, of course, and Jasper would feel all the happier for his partner's fervent good cheer.

Yet would Jasper truly enjoy this event, for his own sake? Would Jasper desire such a battle of wits and wills on the chess board for a little birthday fun?

Ah, there it was – a definite yes. Jasper would enjoy his wife's thoughtful form of gift-giving very much indeed.

"Well, Alice," I stalled with my small companion, who stood with clenched hands in her anxious wait. A glare nearly overcame her elfin features when I paused playfully, but before the expression could truly form I answered, "It has my peculiar stamp of approval."

Alice lit up like Las Vegas, hands clapping excitedly. "Really? He'll like it?"

"Jasper will thoroughly enjoy the idea," I confirmed, my tone strong and sure.

"Ooh, thanks, Mir!" Alice squealed quietly and hugged me around the middle before rapidly carrying us both back to the house in a rush.

I couldn't truthfully have said I was surprised when we found the whole family waiting for us with expectant and amusedly suspicious expressions. Edward instantly rolled black orbs to the heavens and shook his head once he heard Alice's thoughts.

"Everyone, I have an announcement!" Alice exclaimed, happily ignoring her surrogate twin brother. "As you all know, today is Jasper's birthday – whether he wants to accept it or not…"

Caught with lips opened to protest the mention of his special day, Jasper froze momentarily as he processed both his mate's words and my steely gaze. Sensing he had already lost, the Texan vampire slowly released a long sigh, at last accepting he would simply have to let Alice celebrate his birthday somehow.

Upon seeing and hearing her husband's gesture, Alice turned to me a tad nervously, gaining a confident nod of reaffirmation. Assuaged, the pixielike vampire returned attention to the family and continued, "In honor of that day, since Jasper won't accept actual presents, I thought it would be entertaining to hold a chess tournament."

"Tournament?" Rosalie questioned dubiously, arms crossed as she listened to her tiny sister.

"Haven't you ever tested everyone's chess skills before?" I threw in, backing Alice's brainchild with a gleam of excitement. "I've only ever played with Jazz, Edward, and Carlisle. I'd like to see some other match-ups – see what strategies everyone has."

"Not sure I have a strategy," Emmett wondered playfully, eventually shrugging helplessly, "but I'm all for it."

Eyes rolling upwards in the same way as her bronze-haired brother, Rosalie shook her head, but refrained from further debate.

Jasper took one look at Alice's expectant face and crumpled slightly, shoulders touched by a mild droop quite unlike his typical militaristic stance.

"How are you going to judge this tournament, then?" the Texan asked instead.

Rules and standards for the new competition took only long enough for Alice to get across the most essential points of this new challenge before we began four separate games in earnest of our extended Friday game night.

In the first round, Carlisle soundly defeated Esme, Emmett gave a surprising amount of patience to our game before I finally beat him, Edward won against Rosalie after an extra fifteen minutes working around her thoughts so as not to cheat, and Alice narrowly overcame Jasper at the last with what Emmett called 'pixie tricks.'

No one found the play on Pixie Stix quite as funny as Emmett did (least of all Alice), but the big vampire definitely got a loud laugh out of it. Had it not been for Esme's intervention, Alice would have gone after her big brother with teeth bared for the insinuation she had cheated in any way. I had the feeling Alice was only offended because she truly did her utmost to repress visions of the games, so she could truly play rather than simply knock down the last piece for an anticipated win or loss.

It was all just as well Emmett kept so jovial, because he lost badly to Esme and then even worse to Edward. The third strike and Emmett was indeed out. His third loss sealed an exit from the tournament after the third round, as per the rules Alice had previously devised.

Alice's rules included a lot of different methods for ensuring fair play and elimination, mostly by rotating the gameplay as evenly as possible. With an uneven amount of players, it could have become a random choice of who rotated out each subsequent round, but instead Alice had arranged categories by which to sort each round. Surnames, place of birth, and age all played a factor. While watching front the sidelines, Emmett laughingly created a stink about which 'age' the vampires were using, leading to a debate between Edward, Rosalie, and Jasper until giggling Alice finally cleared it all up.

Esme dropped out of the games next with a defeat of Jasper's making while in the following round, Rosalie and Alice both lost to Jasper and Carlisle, respectively.

To my absolute and utter surprise, blocking Edward from my thoughts had become so well-honed over the summer and fall, I found I could actually think clearly on my moves even while rerouting my mind.

Even that surprise was topped, however, when I actually, truly bested Edward after a hard game of cat and mouse. Edward had put up an amazing battle in the game and I had won by the mere skin of my teeth, claiming 'checkmate' with a hefty sigh of relief as I smacked the marble piece down.

Edward stared at the board, flabbergasted as he visibly retraced our moves in the game. "You beat me… You really defeated me this time… Rose and I could barely keep up a mutual blockade. How did you do that?"

Alice and Esme joined me in muffling giggles over the bronze-haired vampire's stunned chatter.

"I don't think it's fair," Emmett brought up with exaggeratedly pursed lips, rocking on his heels and clearly just making more trouble.

"What's not fair?" Alice intercepted the burly vampire with a glare.

"Well, Mireille had a lot more training than we did," Emmett announced with a shrug, grin breaking free before he could stop it. "With our two best players, too. Jasper and Carlisle are really good at this, you know? I used to think you were too, pixie, but I guess you need your sight too much."

"Shut up, Emmett," Alice retorted, rolling black eyes and returning attention to the rest of us, all laughing. "Oh, go on and get playing."

With Alice's rule of three losses for elimination, it took a few more rounds to bring the tournament to its final leg. I never won another game, that was for sure, but as Emmett said, Jasper and Carlisle were the best at it and I felt no surprise for their mastery. Edward, too, was eliminated in the end, leaving one final exhaustive war between Jasper and Carlisle.

The two men couldn't keep up a solid three game record either way, winning and losing back and forth at increasingly faster pace as the night wore on until, at last, Carlisle accosted the third hard-won victory in a row over his empathic son.

Cheering and clapping went up among us as the final checkmate went down. Both vampires chuckled and shook hands for the excellent challenge they presented each other, Jasper not even remotely disturbed he had lost his own birthday tournament.

"Well played, everyone," Esme complimented with a smile for all.

Warm and sweet as honey, Jasper slipped over to his wife, nuzzling her hair and murmuring deeply, "Thank you for today."

"Happy Birthday," Alice teasingly remarked, nuzzling right back.

Grinning like a sap, I left the couple to their moment as everyone else had done, heading back to my room to make sure I had everything laid out for a shopping day with Angela.

Ringing interrupted my attempts and organization before I could get very far, leading me to pick up a call from an increasingly familiar number. Checking the time, I frowned concernedly and answered.

"Jacob?"

"Hi, Mireille," the teen greeted quietly, almost nervously, deepening the frown across my lips. "You got a second?"

"I do, but why?" I returned the questioning, "Are you okay?"

"I'm _fine_ ," the fourteen-year-old replied, an eyeroll practically audible in Jacob's exasperated tone. "I just have something to run by you."

Suspicious and yet curious, I prompted, "Okay, I'm listening."

"You know how I mentioned Seth watching _Back to the Future_ whenever he can?" Jacob started with, raising my hackles at the title when paired with such an unexpected call.

Edward appeared at my side in an instant at the mention of his gift to Seth, looking just as concerned as I felt.

"What about it?" I prompted Jacob again, nerves gaining speed.

"Well, he wasn't quite as careful as he should have been," Jacob sighed a little. "He left the case out on the dresser last night and his dad found it. Leah was out with her mom when Harry talked to Seth about it, so she couldn't back up the story about her buying it. Seth lies badly, so by the time Leah and Sue got there, Seth admitted where it came from… and told Harry about the Halloween party in the process."

"Oh no!" I groaned, matched by Edward's closed eyes.

"Yeah, it wasn't pretty," Jacob admitted uncomfortably. "My dad actually believed my little story that night, so he was mad to the gills when he found out. Harry just about went apoplectic, too, until Sue calmed him down. Poor Seth still had it rough, though. Harry threw away the movie right in front of him."

"He what!" I repeated, suddenly furious.

Sighing, Edward sat beside me on the bed to hear the rest of the conversation, reaching out a hand to grasp my clenched fist and uncurl it before I could draw blood.

"Well, he couldn't actually get rid of it," Jacob rapidly tried to calm me. "Leah dug it out and wiped it down; it wasn't really dirty or anything. She can't give it to Seth now, but she's sure not giving it back to her parents… Man, she swore up a storm today when we talked. You should talk to her about scheming, too. I'm telling you, she's crazier than any of us."

Half-laughing at the comment, I reigned in my indignant feelings over Harry's action with great difficulty and continued the discussion, "What scheming are we going to be able to do now, though? Aren't you both grounded?"

Jacob snorted quietly over the line, inciting another smile on my features. "What do you think we are, cowards? Come on, Mireille, we won't let a little grounding stop us from hanging out. Let's start something."

"Where and when?" I let the teen take charge, sensing he was all prepared with some ideas. A part of me felt a thrill of adventure I couldn't suppress. "I'm shopping for the hospital party with Angela, Carlisle, and Esme this weekend, so we have to work around that, too."

"Man, you don't ever stop, do you?" Jacob laughed in a low voice. "How about you, me, and Leah meet for, uh… bowling or something? We could do it this weekend and maybe do something else next weekend. I don't care if it's trying to skateboard – we just need to prove our principles."

"Next weekend would leave time for the atmosphere to cool down a little," I pointed out thoughtfully, pausing as Edward shook his head to say 'no.'

Confused, I asked Edward mentally, ' _Why not?_ '

"Denali," the musical vampire mouthed almost soundlessly, and I immediately recalled the trip to Alaska we had all planned back in September.

"Shoot, Jacob, I can't next weekend," I confessed abruptly. "We're going to visit friends for Thanksgiving."

"Maybe we could go on a weekday, then," Jacob considered, a frown clear in his voice. "You busy during the week? We could meet up after school's out. I mean even something like going to the diner in town would work. Just to prove our point."

"It's a half day on Wednesday and we're leaving soon after that, so what about Tuesday?" I offered, pensive as I considered my schedule – generally hectic even without Dan's training every evening.

"I could pull that off," Jacob quickly agreed. "We can have a night out this weekend, too. I'll ask Leah tomorrow, if you want…"

"Might as well," I concurred. Leah's place in the Cullen-Quileute drama played a big role, after all.

"Great! I might have Leah call about details," Jacob whispered more than spoke, quickly adding, "Gotta go. Bye, Mireille."

"Bye!" I barely got out before the phone clicked off.

Staring at the screen for a moment, head tilted in thoughtful consideration, I wondered mostly to myself, "Isn't it strange all my friends seem to have these secret whispered conversations with me?"

"Definitely strange," Edward calmly remarked, face blank for a mere minute before the bronze-haired vampire began to smirk.

The glare on my face might have helped Edward's behavior along, but I decided to ignore that about as maturely as a five-year-old and returned to preparing my things for the next day's ventures, back set firmly against the bronze-haired vampire behind me.

In the morning, Carlisle waited patiently in the car and Esme in the foyer while I dressed for the day ahead and at last came down the stairs to join them in clothes of cranberry red and charcoal gray. With the air growing chillier every day, I once again dredged out boots and a heavy wool coat after so long of wearing thin jackets.

"Ready?" Esme verified as I crossed the last step, the caramel-haired woman reaching out an arm to walk alongside me.

Nodding my wordless agreement, I let the motherly vampire guide me out to the Mercedes where Carlisle waited with the warm air already blowing.

Picking up Angela – an event full of her brothers' high energy and their parents' corresponding exasperation –

didn't take long at all. By the time we left, however, Dale and Julie looked impossibly relieved to drag the twins back inside the house.

"I've got all our notes here," I mentioned to Angela on the drive to Seattle, indicating the leather crossbody at my side. "Esme suggested we save the tableware for last, since there are a lot more options in those."

"I like that idea," Angela tipped her head agreeably. "How much of the list we made at the diner can we actually use for ideas?"

"Well, I suppose a lot of it," I allowed hesitantly, "but only as inspiration for less complicated ideas. A lot of items were just too grand for a low budget like ours. One idea I really liked was Austin's suggestion of a fake fireplace, but I have no idea how we could afford to construct one large enough."

"It's a great idea, though," the tall girl nodded more enthusiastically. "We could put up stockings and fake presents, too. Maybe we'll get ideas from something in the stores…"

"There are a lot of good Christmas displays right now," Esme concurred from the front passenger seat, leaning over the middle rest to look back at us. "You might find something to inspire you before we're done."

Esme's invaluable ideas in this vein helped immensely during the shopping trip and I was more than glad Carlisle asked her to go with us. It was even Esme who solved our fireplace dilemma upon leaving one of our last stops, exciting Angela and me beyond words and ending the day on a high note.

After hours of combing through dollar shops, thrift stores, and clearance racks, Angela and I had bought nearly everything we could imagine to make our party theme fun and interesting. As we searched shelf after shelf for projects and decorations our classmates would have no trouble creating, the two of us gathered steam with what precisely our theme was.

"This is going to be a lot of fun," Angela smiled happily when Carlisle later pulled into her driveway after our return from a late lunch. "The others are going to love it."

"You might just be right, Ang," I decided pleasantly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Ray. Thanks Carlisle, Esme."

"You're very welcome, Angela," Carlisle offered, smiling along with Esme.

"We're having fun ourselves," the motherly vampire added wryly, making us laugh.

Once back at the house a little later, Cullen Christmas decorating appeared to already be in full swing, with a mixed Christmas CD playing on the stereo. To the tune of Brenda Lee's famous holiday hit, Alice swept past in a breeze and extended my handmade ornaments to be placed where we had all decided upon while making them weeks earlier.

Decoration after decoration passed my hands while the family of vampires rushed around me lifting and arranging far more complex pieces every which way.

Quickly wrapped up in the night's engrossing task, I was startled entirely by Esme's call for dinner. Yet not half as startled as I felt by my phone sounding off not a half-hour afterward.

A strange number crawled over the screen, pushing me to answer cautiously, "Hello?"

"Mireille?" a familiar voice questioned equally as cautiously. "This is Leah."

"Oh, Leah, hi!" I exclaimed with sudden realization, thinking back on my last call with Jacob. "I guess this is our detail talk?"

"Hi, Mireille," the other girl answered somewhat shortly. "Yeah, Jacob asked me to call you with specifics. Can you get out tonight?"

Chancing a glance at Carlisle, Esme, and Alice where they stood across the room, I had my answer fairly rapidly.

"Yes, I can. What are you two thinking?"

"Bowling at eight-thirty," Leah answered without hesitation. "We tried to get Quil and Embry, but they're taking the grounding more seriously than we are."

"Hard to blame them, really," I gave the two boys an out. They were still young and not nearly as rebellious as Jacob. "Family can be hard to break away from, even when you think they're all wrong."

Snorting loudly, Leah disagreed without a stitch of compunction, "I don't believe that for a second. They're just cowards."

"You know, you should give them the benefit of the doubt," I remarked more commandingly than intended, although the tone clearly didn't make much difference to Leah.

"No, I don't know that," said the young woman archly. Were I a betting woman, I would have said an angry scowl had taken up residence on Leah's face. "And I don't need you telling me what I should think, so don't."

Taken aback by the burst of anger, I couldn't find words before Leah continued heedlessly, "We'll be there at eight-thirty."

With no time to respond before the click of the phone, I sat in stunned surprise wondering how the call had gone so badly.

"She may be starting to experience angry outbursts because of her future transformation," Edward attempted to console my stung mentality. "Remember it was in her profile in the guide."

"It may be happening sooner than the books described," Carlisle mused quietly, features drawn into a reflective twist of thought. "Jacob does seem to be far more graceful in his movements than a mere month ago."

"They've been spending a lot of time around us, as well," Rosalie asserted, a tightness in her voice that was difficult to miss.

"But Jacob is still average height," noted Esme concernedly. "And he doesn't seem to be angry – no more than any normal teenage boy might be."

"And if he's angry about the way Mir and the rest of us are being treated," Emmett commented seriously, "that's kind of understandable."

"All excellent thoughts," Carlisle conceded less reflectively. "I just worry… Rosalie does have a distinct point. We have spent infinitely more time with the young Quileutes than we did in the series."

"What if they change before Bella even arrives?" I voiced my greatest concern, brows gravely hedging over eyelids.

"It might be better for Bella and Jacob in some ways," Alice pondered the idea with pursed lips. "If Jacob understands imprinting _before_ he meets Bella, he would already know how the process works. And when he looks in Bella's eyes and fails to imprint on her, he may feel less obsessed with her."

"I thought his obsession was due to a destiny of being Renesmee's mate?" Jasper wondered, frowning even as he spoke the uncomfortable words.

"Oh, that's a bit of a chink in the armor, isn't it?" responded Alice, pouting slightly. Indeed, the reminder of Jacob's likely inevitable obsession with Bella, via the destiny with Renesmee, didn't cheer me up any.

Rosalie scowled vehemently over the mention of Jacob and Renesmee, something I felt conversely encouraged by. No matter the blonde vampire's odd, unspoken feelings about Renesmee from the moment she had known of her, Rosalie yet retained her passionate disgust for the imprinting plotline of the series.

Renesmee's fate with Jacob seemed… over-the-top, to say the least – especially as it presented itself when she was merely a baby. Yet I supposed within the context of the books, it technically fixed a great many problems without fight after fight raging on. Not that there weren't enough fights about Jacob imprinting on Renesmee…

Edward's darkening features didn't escape my notice, but it wasn't the proper time to confront the situation – if it could ever _be_ the proper time, of course.

Regardless, now that things were going to proceed differently, perhaps that particular fate would take longer to play out. Hopefully held off until Renesmee was old enough to have the romantic sort of feelings for Jacob, although considering the many hefty potential battles waiting on the fringes of the Cullens' and Bella's lives, that seemed less likely than I preferred.

"Maybe we're thinking too much on this," Esme suggested with a sigh. "If it is happening sooner, we can't really do anything about it, can we? All of us know Jacob's presence in our circle is helpful for when Bella arrives, so we can't feasibly push him away. If anything, he'll fight harder to be friends, as he's proven with Mireille."

"I have to agree with Esme," I shrugged awkwardly. "Any attempts to keep Jacob away – if not his friends and Leah, too – seems like it would make him work harder to come around."

"And we do need his help for the future," Edward begrudgingly admitted, Renesmee obviously still on his mind.

"Might as well go on and enjoy yourself tonight, Mir," Emmett shrugged carelessly, then in a heartbeat switched to a scandalous waggle of eyebrows. "Who knows, you might want to marry one of the pooches some day."

"Shut up, Emmett!" I snapped at the big vampire, who only laughed his booming laugh while the rest of the family rolled their eyes or, in Alice's case, giggled much too loudly.

"Mireille's husband will never be a wolf!" Rosalie snapped even more vehemently at her mate than I had.

Grateful for the support, I offered Rosalie an expression of relief and thanks, escaping upstairs to change before Emmett could think up something else ridiculous to say.

Outside the bowling alley in town no more than twenty minutes later, I worried momentarily who else would be there playing – would any of my school friends be there? Katie Marshall could make a real mess of gossip if she saw me with Jacob and Leah. Heaven only knew what Lauren or Samantha might do or say if they saw the same. I had no desire to run into Mike or Tyler, either, and potentially face a dog fight. I'd had enough of those two and their flare for dramatic flirting with everything that moved.

Heaving a breath, I forcefully pushed the building fears and doubts away and headed inside without thinking any deeper on the subject.

While my eyes roved Forks' small bowling alley for familiar faces, each muscle steadily began to relax with every unfamiliar face I met. None of the school kids were there and I breathed a sigh of relief for the momentary reprieve.

"Hey, Mireille!" Jacob's voice caught my attention, drawing me around to face the fourteen-year-old when he walked up.

"Hi, Jacob," I greeted the boy, smiling amiably.

"Wow, you're all set up," Jacob remarked amazedly, eyeing the bowling bag in my hand.

"I used to bowl when I was younger," I replied, neglecting to mention the Cullens had insisted on purchasing all new for me. With the bowling ball, it had been necessary; I had gained a lot of muscle and the nine pound ball I once used had no longer worked for me. "There was a local league on the weekends, so I got geared up for it."

"Uh-oh," Jacob laughed a little. "We'd better watch out for you, then."

"I wasn't that spectacular," I laughed in return. "Just fair. In fact, my highest average was only 174."

"Better than my average, which is 0," the teen explained playfully, holding up his fingers in an O shape. "Come on, Leah's waiting at the counter."

For a moment, I observed Jacob's form as I trailed behind him, strangely reassured that Esme's description still matched – Jacob was indeed still average height and not immensely muscular as he would later become. Ease spread through me until I remembered Leah was not very friendly at the moment.

Scoffing quietly at my own behavior, I made up my mind to stop focusing on that item so stringently; Leah was angry because of her situation with Sam and the growing expectations heaped on her fledgling friendship with the Cullens and me. Anything else I would simply have to face as it came along and accept whatever I couldn't change. It was just that simple.

I found just enough nerve and honesty within myself to snort rather loudly.

Simple?

With me, it was never simple or easy to _not_ try and change things. Sometimes I truly understood how Alice felt about her gift, only for me it was the _Twilight_ books for which I felt that longing to change the bad and the unhappy that plagued others.

"Something funny?" Jacob wondered, eyeing me strangely.

"Nothing to share," I answered, shaking myself from sarcastic contemplation. "Just a random observation about myself, that's all."

Jacob stared a second longer, eyes full of an emotion I couldn't name, but we arrived at Leah's side before he or I could find words to address it.

"Are we ready or what?" the young woman sighed impatiently, another sign I forced myself not to take too seriously just yet.

"Mireille just got here," Jacob scoffed and rolled his dark eyes. "Chill out, will you? It's just bowling."

Leah scowled even more fitfully than Rosalie had done less than an hour before and I wondered if I would live to regret wearing a sweater with my jeans. For some reason, my body heated up in the midst of a fierce argument, as had happened many times since arriving in Forks more than a year prior. If Leah and I started arguing for any reason, both of us would need to 'chill out' in vastly different ways.

Bowling took some getting used to for a beginner and almost as much as for an average player returning to the game after a while away from it. Yet it took far longer for me to convince Jacob and Leah to let me pay for our night out – games, food, all of it.

After all, the entire plan was to get a sign across to the Quileutes who doubted the Cullen family. If we were to properly express our full range of independence from the tribe's prejudice, our scheming would require a great deal more than a single bowling night.

In the time it took for us to gain a real rhythm for the game, thankfully Leah visibly eased up in her attitude. The assured but quiet young woman I had talked to at Halloween and at the bonfire slowly stepped forward again rather than the angry façade of what might be.

When we moved into conversation about newly released films, I knew we were doing well. From what I knew of the year 2004, it had been a good year for movies – well, in my perspective, at least.

Two of the films I loved best from that time in my former life had been _The Incredibles_ and _National Treasure_ , both of which had been released in November. _National Treasure_ had just recently come to local theaters in Washington and I was already hoping to go see it at some point, a venture only Edward and Jasper were willing to undertake with me. Alice would come along just to spend time with us, of course, but much the same as the rest of the Cullens, the movie wasn't really to Alice's taste.

Irony struck home when Jacob brought up the very same film in an effort to suggest a palatable movie for all three of us.

"What about that new one with Nicolas Cage and uh… what's her name, the blonde actress?"

"Diane Kruger," Leah answered before I could form the words. "She was in _Troy_ – it came out this past summer."

When Jacob looked confused, I clarified, "Remember the one with Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, and Brad Pitt? All about the Trojan Horse and Helen of Troy?"

"Oh, yeah," Jacob recalled more easily. "Pitt was kind of weird in that one."

"Isn't he usually?" Leah half snickered. "I never like his movies."

"Neither do I, for the most part," I agreed, taking a drink of soda. "I enjoyed Troy, though."

"So are we seeing a movie tomorrow or not?" Jacob asked impatiently.

"Can you guys afford it?" I wondered, forgoing tact in favor of honesty. "I'm completely willing to foot the bill for what we're doing. It's for a cause that means a lot to me, after all."

"I haven't touched my allowance yet," Jacob responded immediately. "Dad almost took it away after our trip to Olympia, but he knew it wouldn't change my mind."

"I'm good," Leah insisted firmly. "Maybe if we all go out again on Tuesday, I'll take a pay-up, but not tomorrow."

"Great! Movie tomorrow night. Then what are we going to do the next time?" Jacob wondered comfortably, clearly unafraid of consequences to his choices. I wondered how long it would take me to feel some semblance of that fear, then quickly reprimanded myself for the pessimistic thought.

"We could go skating," said Leah thoughtfully, chewing on her lower lip. "I have a pair of rollerblades I only wore a few times. It would be nice to give them some wear."

"I actually just got my first pair in September," I mentioned. "Or should I say two pair, actually. Not that I even need two… Well, one is a pair of rollerskates, truthfully, so I don't think that necessarily counts."

Leah and Jacob stared a moment before I stamped out my rambling and explained simply, "It's an Alice thing. She likes her shopping almost as much as Edward loves to play the piano."

Nodding in hesitant understanding, the two young Quileutes continued thoughtfully on the topic at hand.

"Skating sounds okay," Jacob finally shrugged. "It's the principle of going that counts, anyway."

"You don't have any rollerblades, Jacob," Leah remarked, frowning.

"If Embry chickens out like I think he will, I can take his," the fourteen-year-old clarified.

"I'm all go for that," Leah added easily.

"That's set, then," I ended the subject. "Is Tuesday night all right?"

"Perfect," Jacob answered without a moment's tentativeness, Leah nodding along. "Let's meet here, since it's kind of unexpected right now."

Looking back at the score screen finally and turning to us with a rather put-out expression, Jacob remarked, "We only have a couple more frames left."

Chancing another glance at the score, I had to repress a grin. Leah had taken to bowling very well for a first-timer, overcoming my average in the last two games by a good margin. Unfortunately for Jacob, his average had tanked halfway through the first game and never really resurfaced.

"Come on, Leah, we all know you're going to win," I told the dark-haired girl amusedly. "Just finish us off."

"Glad to," Leah retorted, allowing her grin free reign and rising to make her next throw with more enthusiasm than our fourteen-year-old companion appeared capable of handling in any mature fashion.

Pouting didn't become Jacob Black, no matter how one looked at it. Scrunched and twisted, the half scowl merely made him look grouchy and constipated.

Some morbidly amused part of my brain imagined that expression on Jacob's face whenever he talked to Bella after becoming a wolf; which probably explained why he could be so unbelievably annoying even at his so-called best.

"God, Jacob, perk up. You look like a six-year-old in the corner," Leah remarked as we made our way to the counter to turn in rental gear.

"I just suck at bowling. It's like the ball _runs_ away from me," Jacob complained instead, bringing a bad case of muffled giggles from me. "You know it's true!"

"It might be, but you're really pushing the mope face," I commented, allowing a bigger laugh to escape my mouth.

"Tell me about it," Leah grumbled, but good-naturedly so, on the way out the front door. As soon as the outside air hit our faces, the Quileute girl rubbed her arms through the thin sleeves she wore under a sweater vest. "Hey, it got awful cold out here."

"Walking home isn't going to be fun," Jacob decided, nodding confidently and pulling the collar of his sweatshirt closer.

"Why don't we get something warm first?" I recommended, fishing for my keys. "You can take a hot chocolate on the road home or something. You guys have a long walk ahead of you – I don't dare drive over their boundary line right now."

"Not after last time," Leah agreed, becoming nearly as fierce as she had been on the phone.

Nothing came to mind that might slow the upset on both Jacob's and Leah's faces, so I chose to remain silent and let their anger pass in its own way.

Watching the duo more peaceably begin the long, chill walk back to the reservation gave me pause, but the two seemed to chat amiably enough as they sipped their hot chocolate and hurried along the dirt track towards La Push.

Expelling a troublesome sigh, I shook off the worry and figured Leah and Jacob would need time to bond anyway, if they were to become alpha and second at any point. It would be good for them, I thought, to not be under Sam's thumb. Jacob because of his connection to the Cullens and Leah because of her history with Sam and Emily.

Thoughts of the Quileute situation remained cloaked in my head when I came back to the Cullen house, so much so that I failed to comprehend something Alice said to me, offering little more than a tiny hum of acknowledgement on my way upstairs.

Leaning against the doorway of my closet a few moments later, Edward watched my silent unpacking with narrowed eyes, trying to maneuver past the standard mental blockade I tended to put up with more frequency as the days wore on.

"You're seeing _National Treasure_?" the seventeen-year-old gleaned with staid curiosity as the stray thought escaped my notice. "Alice will be pleased we don't need to see it now."

"Actually," I cut in before Edward could assume any more from my closed-off mind, leading the way out of the closet, "I was going to ask if we could go tonight. I'd rather see it as we planned, before I see it with Jacob and Leah."

"Jasper and Alice are going out for a night together," Edward explained, nodding towards the lower levels once I had turned to face him. Leaning back against the wall, the bronze-haired vampire continued, "You were so distracted on the way up that you missed their goodbyes… The rest of us were going hunting, but if you really want to go tonight, I could hold off on the hunt until tomorrow."

"I don't want to put you out like that," I interceded again, feeling a little less testy when I thought of Edward prolonging his needs for such a trivial reason.

"Trivial?" Edward repeated, brows moving infinitely closer to his hairline as he lifted off the wall and stepped towards me. "I wouldn't precisely call it trivial, Mireille. The ultimate purpose in seeing a film at all with Leah and Jacob is to integrate as best we can with the wolves before real trouble starts. I wouldn't call that trivial in the least."

"You know perfectly well what I meant," I countered the bronze-haired vampire, flicking blue eyes to the ceiling, although my annoyance had mostly fled. "Seeing the movie with them isn't trivial, but my reason for wanting to see it beforehand _is_ …"

The lean vampire had increasing opportunity to read my underlying thoughts, not least of all because my mind gradually loosened under the influence of safe familiarity Edward inspired whenever he provided such reassurance and firm friendship.

"Let's see it," Edward insisted, confidence building in an abrupt sweep. "We haven't ventured out much in recent weeks. Maybe we need a little freedom for a while. Soon enough we… won't have many opportunities for an average night of enjoyment."

"Edward, I won't pretend this future is going to be easy," I admitted with a sigh, "but you simply _must_ stop thinking of Bella's involvement in your life as an impossible feat to be accomplished in a single day. This is your future we're talking about. Your… eternity."

"I won't have any kind of eternity if I don't make the correct choices," Edward argued, black eyes unyielding. The eternal seventeen-year-old even went so far as to cross his arms, a tell-tale barrier Edward only constructed when mildly angry or deeply unsettled.

"Don't run from a relationship just because it isn't picture-perfect from the start," I countered anxiously. "Love and life are imperfect, aren't they? People remember stupid little things that went wrong yet turned out good, bad judgment that initiated a necessary change, or foolish arguments that helped two people understand each other a little better."

"I understand enough to do better than argue every other day about differences in viewpoint," Edward continued to debate quite ironically. "We have special knowledge, thanks to you and your books, that should be utilized to make all our lives better after Bella's arrival."

"You may know many of the things you _shouldn't_ do, but there are still going to be things you do or say that will need adjustment or compromise – on both parts," I rebutted more gently, laying a soft hand on Edward's cold forearm. "Please try to give those things a chance to happen – and a chance to be fixed – before you give up on the future."

Exhaling a snuffle of humor from his nose, Edward eyed my drawn expression with a deeply-buried softness in his gaze. "Despite the inherent pinch of cynicism you can sometimes feel, Mireille Holden, you are ultimately an unbelievable optimist at heart. Penchant of your empathetic writing, perhaps."

"Holden?" I repeated, nose intensively crinkled as I pulled back slightly. "I know that wasn't an accident, Edward, so I have to wonder what medication you've been taking. Not that you can take medication, obviously, but the point stands. It's Mireille Whitlock now… not that grim persona I use to be."

"I appreciate who you were," Edward stated simply, shrugging quite comfortably and arms easily falling from their defensive position.

"Why?" I almost laughed the words, lifting a disbelieving brow at the mind-reader. "When I was Mireille Holden, I was afraid of everything. I was afraid to be myself, afraid to live life, afraid to tell people how I really felt, afraid I was wasting everyone's time, afraid to be wrong in any way… Defensiveness was a way of life back then; it was always hard to let anyone else have the last word. When they did have the last word, I became upset because I had no reasonable response to top them with. I couldn't allow myself to fail and get back up again. Why on earth would you appreciate any of that?"

"For the simple reason that without Mireille Holden," Edward murmured, kinder and gentler than ever, "we would never know the woman you have become. Without flaws, you would be a lifeless creature who never changed. Even we vampires face changes at times, as you personally witnessed in this family. Even vampires have to overcome their weaknesses. If weaknesses never existed, we could never improve ourselves. Remember what you said about love and life? They're imperfect… That's what makes them wonderful. It's exactly the same with people."

Half-smiling at the vampire before me, I offered yet another inquiry, "You _love_ to turn my arguments back on me, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Edward smirked deeply, adding more conspiratorially, "After all, I like to have the last word, too."

Laughter bubbled up in my throat at the blunt honesty.

Smiling more than smirking now, Edward spoke further, "Besides, back then you had good qualities, too. A kind heart, dedication, empathy, generosity… You just didn't have the proper outlook to utilize those qualities more strongly than your flaws."

"Which leads back to the argument of personal growth," I concluded for the incorrigible vampire, shaking my head at him. "I wish you would hear your own speeches sometimes. Admittedly, they can be amazingly good… They might do _you_ some good."

"What will do me good," Edward retorted amiably, breezing away and back with a familiar garment in hand, "is a brief period of simple entertainment with my good friend Mireille. May we handle that for one night?"

"Oh, I suppose so," I answered on a long exhale, giving in all too easily and slipping into the coat sleeves Edward held out in trademark gentlemanly fashion.

* * *


	10. Chapter 9: Adamant

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Notes:** The wait was a little long, so I apologize, but the past few chapters have been hard to write. Each of them felt like a mishmash and I had to make everything flow together in one cohesive unit. Not an easy task. As always, the medical information in the chapter is not to be taken as proper medical advice, nor as an actual method of diagnosis. **  
  
****Song Inspiration:**  
 _Place To Stay_ by The Pylons

**Previously** – Mir painted  & talked w/Edward. Alice wondered if Jazz would like chess tourney, Mir used gift to confirm. Cullen chess tourney, Mir beat Edward, Carlisle & Jasper finalists. Jacob called Mir, told Seth's DVD caught by Harry. Leah angry & saved DVD. Jacob & Mir began scheming, Mir/Ang shopped for party, Cullens decorated for Xmas, Leah/Mir set up meet. Leah angry & snaps, Mir worried. Cullens talked Quileutes changing early. Emmett teased Mir might marry a wolf & Mir/Rose snapped. bowling, talked films/skating, Mir dropped Leah/Jacob at treaty line. Edward observed Mir distracted. Edward/Mir agreed to see film. Mir/Edward talk Bella, working relationships. Edward admits appreciation for the old Mireille in spite of flaws. Mir/Edward both admitted liking to have the last word. Edward/Mir left to see film.

> **Chapter 9: Adamant**

Subsequent to a startlingly easy, enjoyable day and evening spent party shopping, bowling, and movie-going, events with Jacob and Leah reverted to the forefront of my mind once again, unfortunately leaving the comfort of a casual night with Edward at the background of my thought processes.

Even when buying the finishing touches for the hospital party with Angela, my mind stayed very close to the topic of Jacob, Leah, and the pack. By the time we met outside the bowling alley the next night, I had reached equal measures of peace and concern for the two Quileutes with whom I now built a tiny fire of rebellion.

On the one hand, I knew our rebel cause created necessary friction that would – I hoped – guide the wolves to a kinder understanding of what type of people the Cullens truly were. Yet at the opposite end of the spectrum, I worried ceaselessly what manner of pain and difficulty both Leah and Jacob, in particular, would experience before real understanding came to the elders and the pack.

Despite not believing in luck as much as fate, I appreciated the lucky sensation of knowing the film's outcome before seeing it with my Quileute friends. The extended opportunity to bring a small offering of ease to my mind did wonders to cool the renewed concerns raging within and allowed me to calm before investing emotional and mentally in our night's endeavor.

"Great movies," Jacob remarked when we exited the theater that night, having stayed not only for _National Treasure_ , but a showing of _The Incredibles_ which Leah somehow convinced me to sneak into rather than keep a rational, sensible head and leave as we were supposed to.

During the latter showing I speedily lost any compunction over not paying for the second feature; Leah had laughed more than I ever expected, a heaviness seeming to disappear from her shoulders with every amusing moment of the animated superhero film.

On our way out to the Acura, Leah's eyes gleamed with the same simple excitement I had felt after Vanessa Travis' arrest at the end of May. Desire for self-assurance warred together with the joyous yet terrifying thrill of a new fork in the road. For all I knew, the rebellion over which I worried myself could eventually become Leah's chance to grow out of the grief Sam's break had left behind; I hoped it would do all that and more for the young woman.

"They were both awesome," Leah concurred, just shy of a skip in her step while we walked. "Getting out like this was amazing anyway. Haven't felt this free in a while. It's like I don't have to cling to anything to be happy."

"That's a good feeling," I echoed, a small smile crossing my face.

Vanessa's threatening violence had long ceased to frighten me, but the memory of overcoming that fear after so many months feeling it… the moment had been an impenetrable fortress of joy.

Leah's freedom stayed with me every hour until she, Jacob, and I next met outside the diner Tuesday afternoon for our skating rendezvous later that evening.

By quite the paradoxical chance, the nearest rollerskating rink was located in – of all places – Hoquiam. Feeling every inch of the irony as I joined two Quileutes in a place the Cullens lived when first encountering the shapeshifters, there were multiple moments I had to force myself not to break into a snort. It wasn't as if I could easily explain my humor to Jacob or Leah.

Leah had sent me a few odd looks when I found it most difficult not to have a chuckle over the situation, but the young woman said nothing on the drive to Hoquiam.

"Have you ever skated before?" I asked doubtfully of Jacob as he struggled to pull on rollerblades inside the rink. The fourteen-year-old had borrowed from Embry, just as predicted, but the skates didn't seem to fit as well as expected.

"Lots of times," Jacob sighed frustratedly. "I swear, Embry and me used to be able to trade shoes. These are too small, though. It's weird."

Frozen momentarily with my laces half tied, I considered what the Cullens and I had been discussing a few days earlier. Coincidences felt increasingly unlikely in our world, so it was with a grain of salt that I reconsidered my optimism of early transformations.

Already prepared to start our fun, Leah and I waited on the bench next to Jacob, merely waiting for his readiness.

"Why don't you go rent some blades?" Leah suggested to Jacob a little impatiently after a while. "It's not too expensive."

"I spent the last of my allowance," Jacob reluctantly admitted.

"I'll pay for it," I offered hesitantly.

"You already paid for bowling," Jacob denied stubbornly.

"She paid for mine," Leah told the boy bluntly, shrugging away concern. "We're proving a point, right? Let Mireille help us do that. She's the one we're trying be friends with, so we all have a part to play."

"I guess you're right," Jacob slowly acquiesced, finally giving up on the too-small rollerblades Embry had given him.

"Come on," I encouraged the teenager energetically, whacking his arm lightly. "Let's go up to the counter."

In spite of Jacob's general dislike of someone else paying his way, once he had properly fitted wheels, the fourteen-year-old began to enjoy skating and stopped worrying about the money involved.

Soon enough, our trio skating in calm circles around the rink became too tame for Jacob Black. Playful and energized, the teen began to speed his way around the floor, weaving in and out of other skaters with newfound agile prowess. Even in my fears of how early transformation would affect Jacob, Leah, Quil, Embry, and possibly Seth, I couldn't help laughing along with Leah over Jacob's wild antics across the skating rink.

Lost as to how the future alpha could contain so much energy for as long as he did, I kept skating beside Leah, whose laughter had faded to thoughtful silence once Jacob's energetic behavior lost its initial blast of humor and simply became a means of expelling high ambition.

"I always liked rollerskating," Leah mused, avoiding a pass by two skaters who had decided to echo Jacob's time of fun with their own active moves. "It's not a dating thing, you know? I mean, ice-skating could kind of be a romantic experience sometimes, but rollerskating is always more for your friends."

"Bulky wheels and retro 80s colors kind of ruin the moment," I commented wryly, hopeful that a spot of humor could brighten old memories of Sam – for I was almost positive Leah recalled exactly that.

Snorting loudly, Leah shook her head, "Maybe you have a point. Bright pink and green toe stops aren't the height of flirting, either, huh? I mean you stop next to the guy you like and _squaaawk_ … Hey, handsome."

Half choking over the image, I added in a tremulous voice, "Then you bump toe stops when you lean in towards each other."

Sharing helpless laughter over our ludicrous imaginings, Leah and I looked up to find Jacob breathing heavy on the bench we had commandeered earlier in the night. Rolling over to the teen with mild concern, we took seats on either side of him.

"Too much fanatical dancing?" I teased, grin unfurling over my face.

"Mind your own business," Jacob retorted, still breathing heavily, although his grin matched my own. "I'm taking a long breather."

"Suit yourself," Leah offered, snarky to the last and giving a light punch to Jacob's bicep.

"Well, join us when you're back to normal," I told Jacob amusedly, lifting a playful glare from his dark eyes.

"Don't wait for me. I have to use the bathroom real quick," said Leah.

"I think I better do that, too," Jacob laughed a little breathlessly, still winding down from his workout. "Be right back."

Leaving the two to their bathroom breaks, I rolled back into the flow of skaters and began a mindless racing around the rink until my companions jumped back in the thick of things.

Within a couple of minutes, my rapid skating became an altogether different animal.

Blinking was nowhere near a long enough stretch of time to encompass the radical mess that ensued on the wall far away from our bench seat as Jacob and Leah returned to it.

It wasn't apparent at first what went wrong, but a section of skaters several feet ahead shouted suddenly, slipping out of their paced circle and falling hard towards the middle of the rink. It looked like a rough landing and I was sure at least one of them had something sprained, if not broken.

No one else understood the problem until it was too late. In the brief time it took to reach the same spot on the wall, I had no time to kill my speed before a flood of water began to spew and spray from a hole in the wall and all over the floor.

I could see the chaos coming straight for me, but my wheels hit the water before my legs could hit the brakes.

Jacob and Leah's voices echoed over the rink with wretched fear as my feet left the ground and other skaters cleared out to avoid getting hurt themselves.

In the space of time it took for my body to render itself horizontal a few feet above the ground, the world stopped on a dime and restarted in slowest motion.

My eyes traveled slower than snails over the length of freshly wet flooring, the splatter of the broken water pipe stretching across the vast rink and up the wall even as more sputtered and whooshed all around the floor. Pale blue paint, marred by a black splotch here and a gray scratch there from years of skaters' incidents, led right up to the top white ledge of the wall. Unoccupied seats of navy rose up and out into the empty structure.

Dark beams and metal roofing swept before my moving gaze, bit by bit, until the flip of my body left my head nearing the ground upon which I had been standing a moment before.

Lacking an understanding of the consequences in my dazed spin, I hardly had the time or comprehension to stop the back of my head as it knocked down on the hard skating rink. While I feared, in the moments before impact, that the world would disappear in an inky blackness of unconsciousness, my gaze remained focused in the waking world and a scraping noise burst to life in my eardrums.

In that slow, treacherous minute of rolling back from the impact, bars of steel slid beneath my neck and thighs with steady grace.

Lightning struck my thoughts with a fire of exploding realization. Life returned to full break-neck pace in front of me, the pain seeping into awareness all too soon.

Thudding but with a soft firmness, my head, shoulders, and legs dropped close to the rink in quick order. The world spun another complex moment, my head coming to twist and rest against something solid, until the steel rods beneath my body halted movement in a steady arc. The tips of my multicolor footwear grazed the wall side of the rink at the end, narrowly avoiding the protrusion of a broken pipe, and then I was still.

Cold hands checked my face for damage, and if I hadn't already known what stopped me from rolling into further damage, I learned in an instant.

Just above my carefully held neck and head, Edward's worried voice reached me, "Mireille?"

Tilting upwards in the loosely protective hands cradling my throbbing skull, at last I locked opposing gazes with Edward's taut ebony eyes.

"I'm okay," I responded, calm and sure in spite of my breathless – nearly concussive – drop to the ground.

Eyes slipping closed a mere second, Edward immediately forced himself to ease as he processed my rational thoughts. Opening eyes unto the world again, the bronze-haired vampire rapidly pulled us to stand in spite of the rollerblades still on my feet. Edward lifted me just enough to carry my weight without anyone in the jostling crowd noticing the fact I failed to walk under my own steam.

Out in the cold night air, Edward slipped around the edges of the panicked audience outside the front entrance and soon made no qualms about lifting me into his arms completely. To my surprise, Jacob and Leah waited near the Acura, worry and confusion crisscrossing their features like a fast-paced game of checkers.

Watching the dark sky and bottlebrush branches swirl and skew slightly in my vision as we approached the two, I closed aching eyelids and dipped my head against Edward's cool neck in some relief.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asked of me, voice tight and subtly afraid.

"Of course she's not okay, she bashed her head on the ground!" Leah snapped at the boy. I could see her glare in my mind's eye even without direct physical sight.

"I'm heading to the hospital now," Edward interceded before either of the two could speak further, opening the door and maneuvering me inside as if it cost him a greater level of exertion than it actually did. The only exertion he made was to keep my neck steadier than any beck brace could.

"The hospital already knows what happened," Leah remarked rather disbelievingly. "I heard the manager call 9-1-1. Why would you leave before the ambulance gets here?"

"I can get Mireille into someone's care before the EMTs even get here," Edward barked commandingly at the two. "Carlisle has taught us all how to deal with potential head and neck injuries. She'll be fine."

"Better get in," I found the will to tell the two Quileutes, trying my utmost to ignore a pounding headache and keep my neck completely still. "We don't need your parents claiming we left you stranded."

"Yeah, that would go over well," Leah replied sardonically, the back doors opening and closing before Edward slipped into the driver's side.

"Keys?" Edward inquired aloud, no doubt catching my ill-conceived memory of my purse.

"Here," Jacob answered, pulling a zipper and tossing over jangling keys. "I grabbed our bags before we got out."

"Good instinct," Edward complimented absently, turning the ignition and zipping away far faster than he should have, although no words of caution escaped our companions.

Sirens blared nearby, but my worry dissipated when they continued further away – traveling on the next street over, perhaps – and never stopped us.

"I bet that wasn't even the ambulance," Jacob commented, trying to lighten the weight of Edward's choice to carry me away.

"How would you even know that?" Leah bit out. "Moving Mireille like that could have jarred something and made it worse. This is so reckless!"

"EMTs are great at what they do, but the level of urgency here can be awful," Edward responded uninterestedly, voice still incredibly distracted. "I told you… Carlisle taught each of us how to handle possible head and neck injuries like this."

With my eyes closed, I relied solely on my hearing to determine what had Edward so distracted, but ultimately it didn't take that much of a leap to assume Edward used his ability to avoid obstacles or police on his way to the nearby hospital.

Our entry was both expected and unexpected at the same time. While the hospital had been expecting to receive injuries from the rollerskating rink, they had also expected it to be from the blaring ambulance on its way out just as Edward pulled into the parking lot.

Once I had been settled with a neck brace and the nurse scolded Edward's carelessness in bringing me himself, I was settled on a gurney and wheeled to a waiting position in the hall. As we stood there in the corridor, Edward argued back and forth with the receiving nurse over staying with me, something the stiff-backed woman simply refused to allow since we were apparently underage and unrelated. Finally, I grasped Edward's wrist beside my head with cautionary pressure.

Immediately ceasing his debate, Edward gave me his full attention. Blue and black met for a long moment, my mental request for Edward to be calm overtaking all thought of my grinding headache.

"I'm okay," I insisted. "Wait with Jacob and Leah. Call Carlisle."

Hesitating only a minute as he assessed my potential need for medical attention, Edward nodded sharply and allowed the staff to take me for the necessary checkups.

Waiting in a room some time later for my scan results, I glanced towards the doorway at the perfect moment – to find a smiling, comforting face.

"Hello, sweetheart," Carlisle greeted me warmly, dressed in his casual 'dad' clothes rather than a white coat and stethoscope as he stepped up to my bedside. Bending forward to hug me carefully, the doctor asked, "Are you feeling all right?"

"Guess so," I almost shrugged, the action sending a throb in my head. Forcibly reminded of my first hospital stay in Forks, when shrugging had sent pain shooting through my body, I admitted more honestly, "Head hurts, though. And I think Edward burst a blood vessel arguing with the nurse."

"Yes, we were just discussing that," Carlisle agreed, smiling far more wryly at my choice of words, then glanced at the somewhat sheepish nurse who closed the door for us. "I discussed Edward's skills and he has been both forgiven and apologized to."

Repressing another smile, Carlisle shook his head and changed topics, "Based on your history last year, Dr. Barnard was concerned over head trauma. Thankfully I see no problems in your scans, all your vitals are excellent, your pupils dilated normally, no nausea or vomiting, no dizzy spells…"

"They didn't know you were an expert, did they?" I teased, grinning a little.

Laughing gently at my humor, Carlisle pulled over a chair and settled into it gracefully. "Well, Edward was quick to explain my career path when I arrived, as well as my guardianship."

"What's your diagnosis, then, Dr. Cullen?" I remarked, feeling utterly safe in his capable hands.

"Let's discuss a few things first," Carlisle considered, grasping my hand. "What exactly happened when you fell?"

"I think a water pipe burst," I recalled the memory, frowning when I remembered other people had been hurt, too. "Everything was fine and then people shouted out and fell on the rink. I was behind them, skating pretty fast, and I hit the flood before I knew what happened. I flipped up and fell back down. It felt like forever, but I guess it was really only a minute."

"Why were you alone out in the rink?" Carlisle inquired casually, but I knew exactly what he was doing. Being a dad made Carlisle an even more stringent physician than he normally was, and in this case, I was grateful for that quality. We had to be doubly sure I wasn't concussive.

"Jacob had been doing these wild skating moves," I half laughed under my breath. "When he wore himself out, Leah and I went over to tease him. They both went to use the bathroom and I kept on skating until they came back. They just walked back to our bench when I hit the water. I remember them yelling for me just before my head hit the floor."

"And afterward?" Carlisle pressed, eyeing me just as knowingly as I eyed him.

"Edward carried me out," I continued willingly. "He knew the EMTs would take a while, so he made sure my head and neck were as secure as possible and drove us to the hospital. Leah argued with him about it, but he got me here long before the ambulance would have. He tried to argue staying with me, but the nurse was adamant and I finally had to stop Edward. I told him to wait with Leah and Jacob, and the last thing I said was to call you."

Carlisle inhaled, relieved, a fond smile on his golden features.

"Well, sweetheart, you might have the devil's headache, but I highly doubt you have a concussion. I'll see about release papers as soon as I see the last scans, all right? And in the meantime, you have another visitor."

Expecting to find Edward, Jacob, or Leah waiting, I turned and stared in surprise at Esme's tense, nervous form in the doorway.

The motherly vampire smiled at me, slowly entering the room and reaching out with rigid arms to give me a shadow of her typical loving embrace.

"You're pretty amazing, Esme," I murmured against her chilled shoulder, admiring the tender smile on Carlisle's face as he comfortingly rubbed his wife's rigid back.

Silence greeted my words, but when Esme pulled away, she smiled in thanks.

"We'll see you soon," Carlisle spoke for them both, rising beside his wife. "Edward is going to escort you out."

"I think he deserves that much after his earlier battle, don't you?" I commented quietly.

Giggling behind her closed lips, Esme kissed my forehead and followed a chuckling Carlisle into the hallway.

Mere seconds after they had left the room, Edward took his parents' place, eyed me cautiously but at ease and took the seat Carlisle had vacated.

"Hello," he greeted simply.

"Hello, you," I offered quietly in return, smiling at the overprotective vampire as I initiated conversation with a rib, "Finally win the battle?"

Huffing aloud, Edward ignored my playful derision and queried, "Feeling any better?"

"Meds do great things for pain."

"And you teased me about medication," Edward mockingly returned, eyes gleaming.

Shrugging carelessly, the action no longer jogging the discomfort in my head, I sighed out more comfortably, "How are Jacob and Leah?"

"Jacob is fine," Edward answered, also settling back more casually. "Leah forgave my 'reckless' choice only because you were all right in the end."

Unsurprised, I chuckled over their interaction. "Sounds like she's always going to be a whole lot of stubborn."

"Most likely," Edward confessed dryly.

"What about the other skaters?" I asked concernedly.

Taking a moment, Edward narrowed black eyes in focus, finally coming back to the present with an easy answer, "Sprains and bruises, nothing too terrible."

"I think I might be almost as unlucky as Bella," I joked. "Not that I believe in luck, of course."

"You are a stout believer in fate and destiny," Edward clarified, nodding with knowing comprehension of my inner beliefs. "Except when it concerns your own future, of course."

"You must have run pretty quickly to reach the rink," I assumed knowingly of the bronze-haired vampire, changing the subject rather obviously.

Throwing out his hands helplessly, Edward didn't bother to debate the point.

Edward's lack of concern for my deduction made me smile while the lean vampire explained, "Alice must have called right about the time when Jacob decided to take a break, otherwise I don't think I would have made it on time. I had no desire to see your leg cut open on a broken pipe."

"That's what you prevented?"

Edward nodded simply, interrupted from further talk by another nurse when she slipped her head in the door.

"You're free to go, Miss Cullen," the woman announced quietly, offering a polite smile.

Startled, I made an attempt to correct the last name, but a harried doctor pulled the nurse away before I could do so.

"Don't they have my medical file?" I wondered, frowning slightly.

"The nurse didn't bother to check very closely, considering you're leaving tonight," Edward shrugged again. "The name Dr. Cullen was on her mind, also, and knowing you're Carlisle's niece…. At any rate, it doesn't truly matter. I highly doubt you'll ever come here again."

"True, but it's the principle of it," I countered, nonetheless giving up on the tiny point. "Oh well. Let's get out of here."

With Edward's aid, I walked slowly and carefully out to the Acura, beside which Carlisle and Esme waited in the Mercedes. Leah helped me into the car right along with Edward, and I recalled quite abruptly that her mother was a registered nurse.

Contemplating the young woman's disagreement with Edward's methods under a brand new light, I worried silently over the ramifications of any further medical mishaps in which Edward proved his excessive knowledge and experience.

Awkwardly pensive at the thoughts in my mind, Edward held his face in grim thought the entire trip. Jacob chattered all the way back to Forks, while Leah remained nearly as silent as Edward. I tried not to worry too heavily on the matter, but it bothered me more than I cared to admit.

Every bit of knowledge revealed always sent me flying into a worried fit, although at that stage in our situation, I didn't know what I even wanted to prevent anymore. Perhaps it was only my innate protective instincts where the Cullens' secrets were concerned – a mindset I would never apologize for.

"You can drop us here," Jacob mentioned in the middle of a comment on something I hadn't been paying much attention to.

Glancing out of the window, I found us fairly close to the halfway point between Cullen and Quileute territories.

"Thanks, Mireille," Jacob spoke one more time, one foot on the ground outside. "Feel better. We'll talk when you get back from your trip."

"Sure thing, Jacob," I half smiled for his simple encouragement. "Good night."

"Night," both young people echoed, exiting the car and heading down the same path as before.

No discussion of Leah or my thoughts on her behavior entered the mildly tense atmosphere of the car, nor when we arrived at the house to the four remaining members of the family, Edward carrying me inside despite my protests.

"I tried to make them stop worrying," Alice sighed when she hugged me in spite of Edward's grip.

Pixielike Alice appeared so long-suffering that I allowed my quiet laughter free reign over her shoulder.

Only upon hearing that small sound did Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett finally relax into activities other than standing like statues. Jasper gave my hand a squeeze on his way upstairs with Alice, a decision Edward followed in order to take me up to my room.

"I'm sorry I couldn't talk with you at the hospital, Mir," Esme sighed, also joining us upstairs. "But if I breathed in, I didn't want to risk… well, I think you understand what I mean."

"I know it was hard to be there, Esme," I replied pleasantly, shaking my head with a slight smile. "The fact you did something so difficult in order to see me means a lot."

"Edward and Carlisle were prepared for anything," Esme laughed more self-deprecatingly than I hoped, bringing a frown on my face. Catching sight of the expression, Esme added, "Oh, sweetie, don't worry over me."

"Can't be helped," I remarked with a shrug and brought a genuine laugh from Esme.

"We definitely share a common trait on that scale," the motherly vampire conceded, helping me carefully get ready for bed without putting too much stress on my head and neck.

After classes ended the next day, I had never been more grateful for a half day at school. My head still hurt from its impromptu meeting with the skating rink and the ongoing tension between Jess and Conner drove me up the wall – not to mention Katie's senseless amusement and teasing about Jacob, which had only grown worse since she last saw us together in town.

"Thank God for vacations," I muttered in utmost relief on the drive back to the house. "Can we just forget about classes until January? Two months off and then we'll come back to meet Bella. I get time away from Katie's gossip, Jessica's drama, Mike and Tyler's annoying behaviors, Lauren's snobbery… And you'll get time away from the student minds and come back refreshed for the long haul future."

Emitting a barking laugh, Edward shook his head fondly at me. "Believe me, I would gladly take two months away from high school drama, but I feel almost positive my annoying little sister wouldn't let us leave at this point."

"Sad, but true," I acknowledged and heaved a huge sigh. "The psychic one would certainly put – I mean stomp – her foot down. Oh, but it was a good dream for a minute."

Laughing more quietly, Edward shook his head again and let our conversation trail off as we drove up the long path to the house.

Barely stepping from the car a minute later, I felt the gentle whack of paper on my elbow and a breeze of air afterwards. Alice's revenge for my comments in the car, I assumed.

Chuckling together, Jasper and Edward walked at my pace into the house to find a slew of luggage waiting in the entryway.

"Looks like we're all prepared to leave," said Edward wryly, stepping around the array of leather, nylon, and canvas with ease.

"We are, indeed," Carlisle agreed, appearing at the base of the stairs with two more cases.

"Alice will find something else," Jasper murmured affectionately.

"Of course I will," Alice herself responded cheerfully, appearing with no less than three extra bags. "Now I'm ready to go."

Quite unlike our previous trip to Denali, good conversation and laughter filled the ride to Alaska by both plane and car. Instead of riding in the Mercedes with Carlisle, Esme, and Alice on the last leg, as I had done in March, I joined Edward, Alice, and Jasper in the Volvo.

Alice and Jasper held hands across the middle rest, close and warm and teasing with each other every moment of the journey north. Subtle smiling overtook Edward and I as we both surveyed the healed couple compared to the dark mess they had been several months earlier.

Tanya, Irina, and Carmen waited out in the yard at the moment we all pulled to a stop, the trio quickly joined by Eleazar and Kate.

"Welcome back to Denali," Tanya greeted us, a full grin on her lovely face as everyone began to embrace and shake hands.

"Thank you!" I grinned back at the Denali coven's leader in the midst of hugging Carmen. "It's a lot brighter this time, isn't it?"

Looking up at the filtered sunshine which created a delicate glowing sheen of glitter across the vampires' pale skin, Tanya laughed a little. "Everything seems brighter this time, don't you think, Mireille?"

"Even better than expected," I agreed cheerfully.

"Would you prefer a different room from before?" Irina wondered thoughtfully.

"Absolutely not," I denied in a heartbeat. "The view was beautiful and I'm not feeling depression this time, so I'll actually have an opportunity to enjoy it."

"Well spoken," Eleazar chuckled, leading the way back into the lodge-style house.

Walking in the front door alongside Edward and Kate, I spent several minutes reacquainting myself with the relaxed home, warm colors and comfortable furnishings feeling infinitely more at ease in the current peace than they had during our first visit.

It took a long minute between chatting, laughing, and observing before a familiar object drew my unwavering attention further in the dining room.

Hoisted skillfully upon the wall behind the dining table, surreal emerald and sapphire surrounded by smoky grays, rosy pastels, and pure snowy white leaped from the canvas in a show of life and beauty I would never forget. Even in the midst of depression, I had found the capacity to appreciate the beautiful endless landscape of Denali and preserve the sensations of tranquility and serenity in art form.

"Thank you again for your wonderful painting," Carmen told me, smiling as we both observed the art piece. "I enjoy seeing our glorious natural environment inside the house as well as outside it."

"You're welcome," I returned amiably, albeit remarkably quietly.

"We will let you settle in," said Tanya thoughtfully. "I'm sure for Mireille, at least, it has been a long journey today."

"That it has," Carlisle agreed, guiding me forward to the stairs with a gentle arm up to my appropriated room.

Smiling on the way up the steps, I took happy notice of Alice and Jasper mutually heading to their room down the hall. Jasper gentlemanly took some of his wife's load off her hands and let the pixielike woman walk ahead, chattering with a teasing lilt in her voice.

Unpacking became a breeze with Esme's help and left plenty of daylight yet to enjoy out in the beautiful nature of Denali. Tiring as the trip may have been, I had no desire to rest and gladly escaped outdoors with Edward, Emmett, Tanya, and Irina while Rosalie, Carlisle, and Esme stayed inside to catch up with Carmen, Eleazar, and Kate.

Not one soul in the house would let me walk into the elements without suggesting extra items for Alaska's mercurial weather conditions. I was given no time to explain the lack of extra gear before my answer to everyone's concerns reappeared in the room as I had known he would. Laughter rushed from my throat when Edward exhaled in utter exasperation, toting my old gym bag – only this time it was filled with my coat, boots, gloves, scarf, and hat rather than workout gear. From my own hand dangled the lunch bag I had put together while Edward packed my bag of winter wear – product of a deal we had struck in a one-sided mental conversation.

"I thought it strange Edward wasn't down here arguing right along with us," Jasper dryly remarked as we finally headed out.

Giggling failed to leave me until we walked out of the front door and Irina struck up a casual conversation on the hunting patterns of the current season. Emmett became visibly and audibly enthusiastic over the local increase in bears as we strolled around the estate.

Edward began to laugh along with me, inciting a scowl and a devious glint of the eyes from Emmett.

Except for the smirk growing on Edward's sculpted features, I sensed no indications when my entire body left the ground in one swift whirl.

Squealing at the top of my lungs, I made sure to beat Emmett's back multiple times in protest while I hung over his broad shoulder, taking care not to bruise my hands.

Fighting laughter, breathlessness, and exasperation all in one swoop, I shouted full voice, "Emmett Joel Cullen, put me down this minute!"

Booming with laughter that shook both of us, Emmett did nothing of the kind and continued walking along the landscape and into the trees nearby. In our wake, Edward joined Tanya and Irina chortling and laughing over my helpless situation.

"You just wait!" I shouted at the three vampires for good measure, but between them, the laughter only grew louder.

After an indeterminate amount of time spent with my body in a most uncomfortable position over the diamond hard firmness of a vampire's shoulder, listening to a conversation I didn't feel like taking part in, at last Edward took pity.

"All right, Emmett, put Mireille down now," Edward instructed his brother with the air of one expecting an uphill battle.

"I don't know little brother," Emmett retorted mockingly. "I think I'll keep our little human for a while. It's kind of fun."

Apparently deciding not to toy around with a drawn out debate, Edward pulled the trump card of all trump cards, "She can't breathe properly."

For the Cullens, if I hurt in any way or my health suffered even the slightest hiccup, that was the end of any and all shenanigans.

True to that mentality, Emmett instantly put me down on my own two feet with those big, gentle hands he so rarely showed.

"Sorry, Mir," murmured Emmett. Genuine apology filled the big vampire's generally sparkling gaze. "I didn't think about it like that."

Breathing in more solidly, I winced as I worked through a cramping in my torso, then answered more surely, "I'm fine now, Em."

"Are you sure?" Emmett pressed, narrowing his golden gaze in perceptive observation.

Smiling at the unusual look for the burliest Cullen, I shook my head fondly. "Yes, Emmett, I'm absolutely positive."

"If you say so," Emmett nodded once, letting the subject be.

"How have things been since we last came to see you?" Irina wondered curiously once our casual stroll began again.

"Oh, we've been well enough. My other friends are going through some difficulties right now, so we're dealing with it as best we can," I answered for all of us, deliberately vague upon the most significant items which occurred since the Denali clan last saw us.

The wolves had been a touchy subject for the Denalis in the books and the potential still existed for our Quileute friends to intertwine unfavorably with Eleazar, Carmen, and the sisters over Laurent's presence. As much as I wanted Irina to be completely free of Laurent in the future, I also had no true capacity to prevent her meeting him at any point. Better to prepare for the worst than to be caught off guard by it, I figured.

Granted, Edward and the family would not be leaving Bella as they had in _New Moon_ , thus any situation where the wolves would have to intervene so intensely with Laurent seemed unlikely. Yet even the mere possibility of the wolves being the middle man in such a situation – and our friendship creating drama with the Denali coven – felt unbearable. Enough catastrophes could have taken place under such a shifting foundation; there was no reason to add to it unnecessarily.

Edward spared one gold orb to glance in my direction; I needed no words to understand what it meant.

_Tread carefully_.

That was about the simplest explanation for the tightness of Edward's eyelids, the clenched fist hanging at his side where Tanya and Irina couldn't see it, and the nigh imperceptible stiffening of the bronze-haired vampire's shoulders.

"Your human friends must feel quite tiresome at times," Tanya commented with an indulgent smile. Despite Tanya's and her sisters' desire for male company, it didn't appear they cared to spend much time on human encounters unless absolutely necessary. This was perhaps the largest difference between the Cullens and the Denalis as vegetarian vampires and it was their outlook on human-vampire interaction.

"Sometimes they're a little melodramatic," I laughed the words, agreeing up to a point. "They're okay for the most part, though. Some of them are more than okay, actually."

"How do you—?" Tanya began to ask, but her words skidded to a stop when Rosalie and Kate appeared at our sides.

Conversation halted before any more questions could be put forth – a blessing, I couldn't help thinking.

"Carlisle and Esme recommended a hunt," Rosalie explained their sudden arrival, sidling up to Emmett comfortably as he pulled her in close to his broad chest.

"We need to hunt soon also," Kate reminded Irina and Tanya.

"We may as well go out now," Irina agreed, growing interested in the prospect. "Perhaps a little competition will be entertaining."

"You said that in front of the wrong person," Emmett grinned wickedly, bringing a tiny lift of Rosalie's red lips. "Game on!"

"Edward?" Tanya asked rather pointlessly, Edward's solidly golden gaze standing out as a beacon in the partially clouded midday light.

"I hunted yesterday," Edward negated, shaking his head side to side. "In any case, Mireille needs someone to show her around the land. Last visit, we hardly ventured beyond the yard."

"We'll see you later, then," Kate agreed for all concerned, swiftly following the now excitable Emmett, Rosalie, Irina, and Tanya for their hunt.

Once their darting forms disappeared playfully into the trees, I turned to Edward curiously. "Didn't the family hunt just this past weekend?"

"Only Carlisle and Esme," admitted Edward, the plain-faced words accompanied by a shrug. "The others didn't want to leave while you rebelled with Leah and Jacob. Just a precaution, mind you."

Laughing more delightedly than I expected of myself, I finally concluded, "You five are just plain overprotective. That's all there is to it."

No denials escaped Edward's mouth; judging his unrepentant features, the lean vampire felt not a single spark of remorse for the excessive gesture.

"You've been through enough," the Edward told me simply. "Can you blame us for preferring no more pain or fear in your life?"

"Always softer than you hope to appear," I remarked, smiling teasingly up at Edward.

Edward pretended not to hear me like a mature young man, clearing his throat and turning to glance over the atmosphere instead.

"That's all right," I commented wryly, allowing the moment to pass untested for the time being and tugging Edward along by the hand to keep walking through the edge of the woods at a casual amble.

After a few slow minutes had passed, Edward inquired politely, "How are your head and neck?"

"Just fine," I answered confidently. "My neck has been a little stiff, but as you very well know, Carlisle diagnosed it as a simple ache that will last very briefly before fading away."

"Yes, I know he said that," Edward spoke through a sigh. "I just worry."

"I know you do," I murmured fondly. "Thank you."

Forgoing words, Edward nodded once and left us in a comfortable and familiar silence while I admired our surroundings. Grand green foliage hung trustingly from branches with the thick bark of strong aged trees, their roots buried deep beneath the dirt upon which we trod. Patches of wildflowers only half grown caught one's eyes between the majestic tree trunks, tiny sweet colors barely blooming at the tip of a green flower head.

Absorbed in the surprisingly fresh and full nature everywhere, and the way Edward's skin tentatively emitted a gentle halo of nearly unnoticeable light specks whenever we passed an opening in the treetops, I jumped unceremoniously at the deafening ring of my cell phone.

"What in the world?" I muttered confusedly, allowing Edward to pull the phone from my pocket while I calmed my racing heart.

If Edward hadn't frowned so fiercely, I might not have felt so worried when he handed the phone to me, uttering simply, "It's Leah."

Eyes widening marginally at the unexpected situation, I rapidly accepted the call before Leah could hang up.

"Leah?" I greeted wonderingly.

"Hi Mireille," Leah returned the greeting surely but remarkably quietly. "I know you're with friends right now, but I wanted to catch you before it got too late."

"Catch me for what?" I asked confusedly, catching Edward's tight gaze from the corner of my eye.

After my concerns of the Denalis and Quileutes facing any future potential drama over Laurent, should he ever become involved with Irina for any reason, this close brush of both worlds didn't make me comfortable in the least.

"An invitation," Leah answered, not beating around the bush. "My mom is having a party for my eighteenth birthday – it's at our house. I don't really want a party, because I know the people invited aren't really my friends anymore… but it... it gives us a chance to make our stand."

"Leah, you don't mean—" I began to assume, pausing uncertainly at the very idea of the unspoken suggestion. "That's not a good idea. We agreed on that. You must remember. Look what happened when I came to the bonfire!"

"That was before," Leah denied firmly, clearly in one of her moods. "My mom says she'll let it pass. As long as it's just you. It's kind of annoying that she's still limiting me, but I want to take advantage of the opportunity if I can."

"Coming to the reservation, Leah…" I started to argue, then sighed heavily. "This sounds like pure trouble, not pragmatic rebellion."

"It doesn't have to be practical and safe," Leah argued vehemently. "Just useful."

Vacillating between the apparent step forward with Sue and the possibility it was somehow a trap Leah was as yet unaware of, I didn't know how to answer, fumbling unhelpfully with my words, "I… I don't know, I…"

"Think on it," Leah pressed. "Jacob told me how long it took to get you to see him this last time – just before we all started to go out together. So I thought I'd let you know ahead of time. You have a couple weeks to decide. Argue it out with your family and let me know closer to the day. It'll be December twelfth. Talk to you later."

"Leah, wait," I tried to intercept, but the young woman was already gone, silence crippling in its intensity while my mind ran loose, turning into a puddle of worry and doubt over the increasingly unsettled future laid out before us.

* * *


	11. Chapter 10: Annals

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Notes:** Well, as usual, I wish I didn't have to make everyone wait. But life has been incredibly hellish the past few months and I definitely had no spare time to write. One thing I also had no time to do was research the necessary history for this chapter! Hopefully the depth of this chapter makes up for the space of time, though.

Be aware, I have fabricated much of the backstory later in this chapter, fitting it into the broad, generic backstory SM left for us in the Official Guide, as well as the general historical perspective at that time in history. The general chronology of two vampires' backstories has been slightly edited, but it's really a negligible change in my opinion.

The blog will take a moment to update, but I will have it ready by the time I post the next chapter.

Thanks to everyone reading and commenting!

**Previously** – Mir worried over wolves. Mir/Jake/Leah saw films, Mir compared hers  & Leah's sense of freedom. Mir/Jacob/Leah rollerskating & Jacob skated wildly. Pipe burst, Mir fell, & Edward prevented injury. Edward drove to hospital, Leah argued carelessness. Mir stopped Edward arguing w/nurse. Carlisle oversaw Mir & Esme braved bloodlust to visit. Mir/Edward talked, Mir worried of Leah doubts. Cullens to Denali, Alice & Jasper happy. Mir sees her painting & Denalis thank her. Mir, Edward, Tanya, Irina, Emmett outside. Emmett excited of bears, Mir laughed, Emmett pranked. Edward later stopped Emmett, Emmett worried, Mir reassured. Mir avoided talk of Quileutes. Emmett, Rosalie, Tanya, Irina, Kate to hunt. Edward/Mir talked Cullens' overprotectiveness. Leah called Mir, asked to 18th birthday. Mir undecided & Leah asked her to think on it.

> **Chapter 10: Annals**

There are times – in the span of any person's life – when events and people, goals and problems, seem to cascade one after the other over a fitful edge and into a chasm broader than the ocean. Everything becomes so jumbled in the moment that every piece of the puzzle clashes together and refuses to match lines and colors in one cohesive image.

It occurred to me only belatedly that my entire life in Forks had been stuck in exactly this scenario almost every day since I arrived more than a year earlier. Disregarding the wonderful summer which had – for the most part – been an amazing feat of joy and leisure, everything else had been riddled with hard choices and troubles.

When moments felt peaceful and sure, it wasn't long before another circumstance cropped up to prove me foolish for settling into contentment. After living with the Cullens this long, I should have learned to accept that and flow with it through each day, never letting it disturb my outlook.

Such efforts became futile, however, when faced with the Quileutes of La Push.

Being at the reservation alone unbalanced my equilibrium. With the wolves, I never completely knew where I stood. I never fully grasped how they felt about me or my insistence upon the Cullens' good hearts. Perhaps the shapeshifters' mercurial abilities lent to the idea of uneven ground, for I had no knowledge of when or where they would shift and change – physically or mentally.

For all the willingness of rebellion in my heart, Leah's invitation to her birthday forced me to sit down and think hard and long about how far I was willing to instigate resistance again Sam, Jared, Paul, and the tribal elders. My mind, if not my soul itself, reeked of fear and indecision.

I wanted relations to improve between Cullen and Quileute. I wanted Carlisle and Esme, and each of their children, to enjoy the days of their family's completion. Bella had a right to choose her own fate without the weight of a potential war hovering dark and menacing above her head. Edward deserved to find happiness without battle after battle for the freedom to love who he loved. For myself, I even dared to want the friendship of Leah and Jacob, something which had brought an unexpected new avenue of joy to my life.

Numerous thoughts and worries overwhelmed me at the very idea of attending Leah's birthday celebration in December. Not least of which were the mere presences of Sam, Jared, and Paul, for I had no doubt they would make an effort to be physically present as soon as they knew of my attendance. Whether they knew ahead of time or found out only after I came to the reservation, it didn't matter. I had no doubts the three shapeshifters would make sure to at least try and convince me of my error-ridden feelings towards the Cullens.

Considering their actions at the bonfire almost three weeks earlier, I didn't want to think what other accusations and lies the wolves could find with which to change my allegedly misguided affections for the Cullen family. The very idea made me positively nauseous.

Heavy sighing hardly moved me from contemplation until Edward pulled me under his arm and bestowed a hug with tight reassurance.

"Stop thinking like this," Edward insisted firmly but kindly. "Their accusations are lies and you know it."

"But I hate it," I admitted, features crunched into an unbearable expression of fear and concern. "I can't stand when people call you monsters. Not out of fun teasing, but because they actually think they're right. It's the worst kind of lie."

"Of course you feel hurt by those words," Edward pressed even more understandingly, giving my upper arm a comforting squeeze. "You know us at heart, Mireille. You care about us. They don't know us in the same way you do. Besides, technically we _are_ monsters."

My mouth parted immediately, an instantaneous and blistering retort on my lips, but Edward cut across before I speak.

"I'm not talking about souls, Mireille," the bronze-haired vampire countered rapidly, expelling an exasperated scoff. "I mean in general. Vampires are, technically, mythical monsters. They are the stuff of legend. So are werewolves and shapeshifters. We are, all of us, monsters of a kind."

Despite the fine line of truth in Edward's statements, I felt nonetheless unhappy with the comment and failed to reply to Edward's persistence.

"Anyway," Edward went on with a weary sigh, allowing the topic to fall back, "If you're this worried, we should be telling the others what's happened."

The words sounded remarkably familiar to the ones Edward had spoken the previous day.

I hadn't wanted to tell anyone of Leah's phone call, something my musical companion found difficult to swallow and had tried to convince me to change.

"We really should tell the others," Edward had insisted pensively after I belatedly closed my cell phone, a heavy frown nearly drowning the bronze-haired vampire's face in concern and discomfort amidst the delicate glow on his rock hard skin.

Much as I had known Edward was right, I had recalled all too easily the tension, anxiety, and fear which Esme and Carlisle, especially, had felt when I last stepped foot on the reservation.

"Not yet, please?" I had begged of Edward quietly, gripping his coat sleeves with pleading force. "I want to think. Just for a little while. If everyone knows, they'll try giving me their opinions and advice and they'll become anxious beyond belief… And I don't want _them_ to overhear…"

From my thoughts, Edward easily gathered that my last sentence referred to the Denali coven, a fact which nearly swayed him to my way of thinking.

"Please, Edward," I pushed pleadingly, seeing he was close to caving. "Let's just leave it alone – for this trip, at least?"

Heaving a tired, reluctant sigh, Edward eventually just nodded.

"All right. We'll wait."

In the present moment, Edward appeared no less uncomfortable with our secrecy than he did then, even after promising to let it wait for the rest of the trip.

Carlisle and Esme's faces full of relief continued to swim through my mind, leaving me with the impossible choice of taking away their inner peace or figuring it out on my own before I told them the truth.

"It's not like you to keep withholding something this way," Edward frowned deeply. "Why are you so set on it this time?"

"I don't know," I confessed quietly, eyes glued to the white-dusted ground beneath my feet.

It had snowed a small amount overnight and everything frosted over as the temperature dropped suddenly. In the wake of my gnarled emotional state, however, no amount of cold or snow could have prevented me taking leave of the house before Jasper started asking questions or, heaven forbid, Alice.

Alice's unexpected silence worried me almost as much as Jasper's potential curiosity, and yet equally amazed me. It seemed impossible the pixielike vampire could have failed to envision Leah's phone call, but I could find no other reason for Alice to remain quiet upon such a controversial topic.

Already perfectly aware of my long, sleepless night and the chaotic thoughts which accompanied it, Edward had entered my room with the suggestion of a walk outside, handed off the very same winter clothes he had packed into my gym bag the previous afternoon, and disappeared to wait for me at the exterior kitchen door. No one milled about in the main level except for Carmen and Eleazar, making it easy to fake a relaxed smile and head out to where Edward waited in winter clothes he didn't really need.

Amazed yet again that Alice apparently failed to see this decision to talk, as well as the earlier notion she had likely not seen the phone call with Leah, I wondered precisely how much shopping Alice planned to do on Black Friday and how many of her visions it filled. After the tiny woman's time of fashion aversion while reconnecting with Jasper, I hadn't thought Alice would obsess about shopping nearly as much, but I supposed it stayed too close to her heart to bury forever. Still, would her purchases truly be full enough to blot out something as significant as Leah's invitation?

Snorting loudly, Edward rolled his eyes at me and shook his head.

"I'm fairly certain you know better than to question that, even after what happened in April and May," the seventeen-year-old retorted. "Alice may have limited her adoration for fashion and shopping, but it still exists to a very large degree. That doesn't include Tanya, Irina, Kate, and Rosalie's desires to buy more clothing, which likely packs out the entire day for all five of them."

Sighing, I nodded helplessly and replied, "I guess you're right. Honestly, I have to wonder if Alice loved fashion in her human life as well. Even if she doesn't remember it, that doesn't mean her heart doesn't feel it still. It seems awfully deep in her psyche to just be a product of having nothing when she woke as a vampire."

"I have to concur on that," Edward agreed, tilting his head thoughtfully. "Alice seems to think so, as well. Rather surprised me when she said it."

Nodding along with the points made, I couldn't stop my mind returning to the problem of Leah's invitation.

Releasing me from his arm, Edward allowed me to wander in mental anguish a while longer as we strolled through the trees again, the lean vampire leading me by the hand while my mind traveled elsewhere.

Another fifteen minutes out in the chill air and Edward finally pulled us to a stop again, inhaling and exhaling with a noticeable absence of the same visible fog my warm human breath created.

"Why is it, Mireille, that you always go about these things backwards?" Edward inquired, half amused and half exasperated. "It just now occurred to me… you haven't even bothered trying your gift, have you?"

"I used it last time," I argued, irritation buzzing through my head. "Look what happened then!"

"Yes, something unfortunate happened," Edward conceded with a single nod. "Yet perhaps your unfortunate experience made an impact on someone at the bonfire. Maybe your words affected one person's outlook on our family. It was uncomfortable, yes, but it may have been necessary to start changing things."

I accepted his assessment only grudgingly, "I suppose."

"Much as I despise saying it, I think it's true," Edward told me regretfully. "This experience might occur for a reason, even if it's not the best of experiences. Believe me, if you were to be injured at all, I would be the first to raze the wolves to the ground. I would simply not allow it. But smaller things, like the disagreements you had at the bonfire, might be needed at times. Hear an argument long enough and you may start to actually listen."

Given all too valid a reason to give in and attend the event regardless, naturally I dug my heels in and stubbornly wished to keep plotting out all possibilities before I decided for certain.

Either way, Edward gave a remarkably rational argument to my fears.

After a while, I grumbled half under my breath, "Stop giving me good speeches."

Intentionally bumping my shoulder into Edward's arm for good measure, I said no more.

Offering a chuckle, Edward reached out to tug gently on a loose strand of brown hair, but otherwise let me wallow for the rest of our walk.

By the time we returned to the Denali coven's home, everyone had gathered on the main level for many different reasons. Emmett and Eleazar played a casual game of chess, Eleazar also adding comments to Carlisle and Carmen's discussion of a book between them.

Then there was Alice spearheading the five outrageous shoppers who arranged to go out as early in the morning as possible for Black Friday. Each vampire woman appeared thoroughly engrossed in their task at the dining room table. Now I could see why Alice's sights had no room for a vision of Leah's phone call.

Luckily Esme, Edward, and Jasper had already worked through an argument to let me stay back from the fashion venture. While Alice had been put out, the tiny woman let it go with remarkable grace and promised to bring something back for me.

Needless to say, I assumed the 'something' Alice brought back would be nearly a third of the wardrobe I already owned, but I decided freedom was worth the price of an overfull closet.

Laughing quietly over the memory as we stood in the mudroom, Edward quickly divested himself of winter gear and hung it on the rack before turning to help me do the same.

Much to my surprise when we walked in, Jasper had taken to helping Esme concoct a scratch recipe for turkey, dressing, and gravy. The former soldier mostly assisted by reaching for things in the higher cupboards his adoptive mother would otherwise have to use a stool to reach. Granted, Esme could easily have swept up with vampire agility and speed to reach what she needed, but the lovely woman had never been one to go so far beyond normal movement. Often enough, Esme worked at a very human pace.

"Would you like to choose dessert, Mir?" Esme asked of me, glancing over her shoulder with a smile.

"Pumpkin pie always works best," I answered without any doubt, grinning, "Plus it's very easy to make for an amateur like me."

"All right, I'll let you make it," Esme laughed at my enthusiasm, sliding the simple recipe over to me. "Do you want to make anything else?"

"I could steam some vegetables, too," I suggested. "It looks like you and Jazz have the main course under control over there."

"Jasper has been invaluable," Esme announced, smiling warmly at her empathic son and patting his face lovingly. Jasper responded with a slightly bashful yet confident face, obviously pleased by the compliment.

Out of respect for the sweet mother-son moment, I turned down with a sappy smile to look at what I would need for the pie and side dish.

"Need any help?" Edward asked from my side, a smirk in his voice even as he glanced once at the recipe Esme had given.

"You can get out some vegetables, if you like," I answered a little distractedly, double-checking the pie recipe and ignoring the young man's typical snarky reaction.

Rather than speak aloud, I let the thought of each vegetable guide Edward on his way.

Between the four of us, Thanksgiving dinner for one small human came together in what felt like minutes rather than a few hours.

The only mishap had been the fault of my own distracted mind. While making sure I had enough of each vegetable steamed, I had unthinkingly reached for the pumpkin pie plate to remove it from the boiling hot oven.

Jasper snapped between the oven and my bare hands in a blink, sweeping the dish away and closing the oven while my stunned features came down to earth with startled realization.

Noticeable in their overprotective natures, Edward and Jasper took extra care to make certain I didn't carry any other hot items to the table. Shaking my head, I gave them leeway after my foolish distraction in the kitchen and simply headed out to sit for an early Thanksgiving dinner.

The sisters, Eleazar, and Carmen visibly took extra care not to stare in my direction while I ate, even with Edward sitting right beside me and watching as he had been doing since my first meal in the Cullens' home.

"They think it would be rude to watch you eat," Edward explained aloud, heedless of the Denali coven hearing him. Smirking overtook Edward's face, no doubt thinking of his own behavior, and I laughed at his unabashed expression.

"Well, it's their prerogative to be less… brazen than some," I hinted at the eternal seventeen-year-old, laughing again at Edward's innate audaciousness.

Dinner ended on a joyful note shortly thereafter and Emmett caught me on my way upstairs with a quick shout out.

"Mir!"

Swinging around in a jerk, I had just enough time to anticipate and catch an unsurprisingly soft something wrapped in brown paper.

Smiling knowingly at Emmett, I appreciated his booming laughter while I unwrapped a simple little penguin in dark gray and white, and offered a quiet 'thank you' to the burly vampire for his ongoing thoughtfulness.

Come the morning, my evening had ended bittersweet. My mind never once shut off – not for even a brief moment – on the subject of Leah's invitation, leaving sleep an ill-conceived notion at the back of my mind. Even the melancholy, relaxing notes of Beethoven playing on the small stereo system had no effect.

Edward joined me for simple company before I went crazy, distracting me and allowing evasion of the secret problem with a level of patience I didn't often find in the lean vampire. Nothing deeper than common daily topics encompassed our quiet conversation throughout the night and into the dawn. Esme and Carlisle had both checked in to see how I fared at different times, ever finding Edward and I engrossed in comfortable, mostly-useless talk of school and its goings-on.

Jessica's ongoing issues with Conner took a forefront of the discussion, unfortunately, and left me feeling confused as ever. Edward knew the true situation, of course, as we had established before. I also continued to reassure Edward that he need never share personal thoughts from others. I long established some things were meant to be known and some weren't. If Jessica's situation became known to me, then that was fine; otherwise Edward need not make himself uncomfortable for no reason.

On the tails of our talk in the wee hours of the morning, Edward and I parted ways long enough for me to change clothes and get ready for the day, my slow and steady human speed overshadowed immensely by the chattering female vampires preparing for their Black Friday shopping extravaganza.

Edward finally reappeared, dressed in far more rugged attire for his soon-to-occur sparring venture with Emmett and Jasper, the same time as the enthusiastic shoppers passed my doorway at last. Leading the troop in a vibrant yellow and pink outfit, Alice stood head and shoulders above the rest despite her miniscule size.

"Are you sure you won't come?" Alice dare to ask of me, although her humor-tinged expression informed me she understood my true desires perfectly well.

"You know I want to help decorate the house," I countered peaceably, leaving Alice's verbal bait untouched for a change.

"Spoilsport," the tiny vampire teased with a smile, but nonetheless let me be on the rest of the walk downstairs.

Jasper and Emmett offered goodbye kisses to their wives before the ladies disappeared out to the cars and the Cullen brothers joined together and practically evaporated out the back door.

Strolling backwards at a much more casual pace than his brothers, Edward half-smiled and offered, "I would ask you to join us, as well, but I don't think that would be to your taste any more than a shopping spree."

"Somehow I thought you would ask anyway," I shook my head, smiling all the while. "Just because you can."

"It appears I still have the ability to surprise you on occasion," Edward remarked and broke into a full-fledged smirk before dashing out in a blustering rush of air.

Heaving a long sigh, I rearranged wayward stands of my hair and simply continued into the kitchen where Esme once again cooked a marvelous breakfast.

Once Esme and I had returned to the living area and our chatter quieted, Carmen inquired pleasantly, "Ready to start decorating, Mireille?"

"Always," I answered, smile widening at the sight of several boxes glistening with sparkle and shine.

Between the five of us, Christmas decorations slowly and steadily made their way onto trees, banisters, doorways, walls, and other free spaces untouched by Christmas cheer. No rush overwhelmed our efforts, a blessing I felt incredibly thankful for.

Mostly conversation flowed between Carmen, Esme, and Eleazar – a quiet backdrop of calm, easy subjects between old friends. Carlisle leaned towards the quiet side that morning, although not unhappily so while assisting me with far-reaching decorative ideas I had little height to accomplish.

The thought occurred to me, once or twice over the time I had lived in the Cullen household, that Carlisle's quietude was more natural than I had often expected. While Carlisle could hold his own in any conversation and naturally engaged in discussion most days, the gentle vampire's intuitive natural personality could also be impossibly internalized and silent. Esme certainly felt no discomfort with it and usually no one pushed the doctor to speak when he withheld the task.

Edward most of all pushed Carlisle to engage in conversation when the elder turned quiet and contemplative. Perhaps this balance was due to Edward's innate confidence and boldness compared to Carlisle's instinctive humility, or maybe because of their early days together. Whatever the case, the younger vampire took the longest strides of anyone in tugging the gift of discourse from his father.

Without playful nagging and teasing from his first yet youngest son, Carlisle fell unquestioningly into peaceful tranquility and I was not of a mind to intrude upon his peacefulness.

Carlisle's silence faded to the background quickly when Esme and Carmen recommended a brief stopping point for my lunch. As always, I had become so absorbed in my work that I forgot about eating.

"You think little of nourishment when engrossed in a project," Eleazar remarked amusedly.

"Just one more proof of how much alike Mir and Carlisle can be," Esme laughed quietly at the two of us, working on a salad while I put together yogurt and fruit.

"I certainly believe it," Carmen laughed along with Esme, lowering herself to sit beside Eleazar at the island counter. "From our history, even I can guess Carlisle forgoing the hunt in favor of study and research."

"How many instances have I teased the famed Stregoni Benifici for such a trait?" Eleazar joked of his old friend, bringing a full laugh from Carlisle and giggles from Esme and me.

"Ah, Eleazar, what a dreadful sort you are at times," Carlisle quipped jovially, laying each arm warmly around mine and Esme's shoulders as our giggling petered out. "However, I can hardly refute your claims – particularly in the presence of Aro's… brood."

Hesitance showed itself only narrowly in Carlisle's steady tone, but an atmosphere of discomfort prevailed nonetheless as the Cullen parents and I thought upon all the reasons Aro could no longer be thought of with fondness on Carlisle's part.

"Something troubles you, I think?" Eleazar considered quietly, eyeing Carlisle with a keen gaze I had already experienced when the Spanish vampire first told me of my special ability.

Less attuned to Carlisle's moods and behavior to a small extent, Carmen withheld her thoughts and simply watched the interactions closely, namely Esme's turning away to bother with unnecessary cleanup and my own intent gaze at the plate beneath my restless hands.

"Hindsight can be complicated and troublesome, my friend," Carlisle remarked vaguely, turning away from Eleazar's searching expression as if to close the unspoken topic.

"There is truth in this," Eleazar agreed, nodding patiently. Unperturbed by Carlisle's distance, the dark-haired man added, "If it would aid you to speak of it, I would be an unbiased listener."

"I know it and believe it," Carlisle smiled slightly, turning back more genuinely even while he reached around to grasp Esme's upper arm consolingly and comfortingly.

"Mi amor," Carmen spoke before her husband was able, turning gently to brush Eleazar's forearm with her fingers, "we have not yet shared our history with Mireille. Quite amiss of us, don't you think?"

"Quite amiss, indeed," Eleazar agreed with his mate, reluctantly allowing the subject of our discomfort to drop untested. With Carmen's encouragement, Eleazar appeared to shake himself and turned all focus to my blue eyes now centered on the Spanish couple. "Would you enjoy hearing the annals of our life, young Mireille?"

Finding it impossible to deny more fascinating stories, I smiled contrary to the previous unease and gladly settled in at the table with Carlisle, Esme, Eleazar, and Carmen, the meal a background thought with my new pastime engaged.

"So many years have passed," Eleazar sighed nostalgically, comfortably pulling Carmen under his arm. "I was born during the reign of Phillip V of Spain, in the year 1742. Spain was embroiled in the usual intrigues, dramas, and wars at the time, and still facing great economic downturn after essentially declaring bankruptcy in 1739. When Ferdinand VI took the throne, he did seem to put things into better order, something I believe my father always pointed out to me."

"I was born under the rule of Ferdinand VI, in 1748," Carmen segued, "but mostly I remember the reign of his successor, Charles III. Charles was Ferdinand's half-brother, I believe."

"Yes, a distinct family intrigue, wasn't it?" Eleazar wondered curiously. "Elisabeth of Parma controlled her husband, Phillip V, very strongly and cared only for her own children with him. The children of Maria Luisa were not well treated – from what the historians say, at least. Unfortunately, the conspiracies between the many royal lines played a role in the country's growing instability as the years went on."

"Fear played an enormous part in the downfall of the country during the 18th century, as well, I'm afraid," Carmen elaborated on her husband's statements, "particularly upon the execution of Louis XVI in France. Spain warred with France in large part because they wanted to preserve their own royalty, ever afraid the example of French rebellion would infect the Spanish people."

"I remember the constant warring," Eleazar added. "Unfortunately, I remember little else of my human years in the area of Estremadure, but I do recall the suddenness of change at the time. Almost as sudden as my transformation in 1766."

"Do you know who turned you?" I asked, unthinkingly interrupting the Spanish vampire's storytelling.

Smiling congenially, Eleazar showed no impatience at my interruption, but answered calmly, "My creator was called Mariano and he shared with me no details of his lifetime. I know he was a merchant ages earlier, although the time is uncertain. Mainly, he changed me in order to protect he and his mate from unlikely outside attack – he was a paranoid and prideful one until his death."

"How did he die?" I wondered, suspicious of the Volturi's possible involvement considering what I knew of their acquirement process.

"I never knew," Eleazar explained easily, a careless shrug the only emotion he showed. "I had gone hunting and returned to three piles of ashes. Mariano, his mate, and my other coven member were all killed under unknown circumstances. Tracking led me as far as the Atlantic Ocean, but there the scents of the attackers dissipated into the water. From there, I traveled as a nomad myself until a meeting with the Volturi guard."

"How did you chance upon the elite so easily?" I queried, withholding the narrowing of my eyes by a slim margin.

"Not so easily as all that," Eleazar chuckled freely along with Carmen, Esme, and Carlisle. Hearing the ease in Carlisle's humor, I relaxed a fraction and allowed our host to continue, "I traveled mindlessly north and east through France, and ended up in Italy only by virtue of wandering. Hunting in Florence brought me near to the guard in battle with a small coven."

Over the golden hue of Eleazar's eyes, a wistful expression cast itself firmly in tones of gray emotion – neither angry nor pleased, but seemingly melancholy. All at once my hackles raised anew and the suspicion returned full force.

"Clearly they were very new," the dark-haired vampire remembered quietly, hands stiff above the surface of the table as words flowed. "The young ones fought, but they were rapidly overcome by the experience of the Volturi. They would have removed every member of the coven and me as well, but one of the destroyed coven held them at bay with a form of confusion until one of the guards from the Volturi stepped forward to converse. The young one, Adriana, grew far more complacent. At last, Aro himself stepped forward to speak, taking Adriana's hand with surprising kindness after the ruination of her coven. She was soon welcomed into the guard and Aro offered the same to me."

"No one tried to attack you?" Esme queried before I could do the same, evidently never having hear this part of the tale.

"Two guards restrained me when I came upon the scene," Eleazar agreed, "but by that point, Adriana began to grow peaceful and the violence ceased."

"That was quick," I couldn't help remarking, withholding cautious disbelief as far as I was able.

"Aro has always had excellent sensibility within his coven, even as violent as their world is," Carmen described haltingly, obtaining more hesitant knowledge than her mate. "As Carlisle knows well…"

"We've never truly discussed that aspect of the Volturi," Carlisle murmured in counterpoint, every word both a truth and a half-lie.

Pursing his lips pensively for a long and awkward moment, Eleazar finally mustered something approaching a resigned face and nodded in simple acknowledgement as he moved on, "Lost as I was, the offer Aro presented felt to me the last option aside from roving the world on my own. Having no desire to do so, I accepted and became one of the guard. The life was… unpleasant… many times, but I felt there was little else for me in the world…"

For reasons unknown to me, Eleazar had chosen to ignore the tension and retained assumptions. Following his way seemed appropriate, which was precisely what I did.

Drawing enough acting talent to pretend nothing unusual had just occurred, I asked interestedly, "Where are you from, Carmen?"

"Along the Golfo de Valence, near Valen," Carmen responded, taking seconds to ascertain the environment between us all and decide she would follow suit, ignoring the crisscrossed lines of intentional miscommunication. "My family came from a long line of tradesmen and merchants along the coast. I remember being fairly happy in my human life, but little else at the time of my transformation. I know I was intended to marry a man I had never met – that much stood out clearly in my mind."

"Ugh," I groaned irritably, hands clenching on the tabletop as I thought of poor Esme all but shoved into a marriage with Charles Evenson. Esme had been pushed unwillingly and unhappily into the union that destroyed her as a human. "I hate arranged marriages."

"Don't we all?" Carmen agreed almost teasingly, lips curved wryly. "Thankfully that time is past in our part of the world."

"Hopefully it will someday disappear altogether," Esme concluded firmly, reaching for my hand with an understanding gaze I should have known she would wear.

"Do you remember your creator?" I asked of Carmen, pushing the burst of negative energy far from my mind and allowing Esme's strength of will to hold me up.

"No, I have no memory of them," Carmen shook her dark head. "I recall in 1770 my parents informed me of the impending marriage, some disturbance occurred outside my home, and then for some reason I ran. I can't say for certain if I ran from my unmet future husband or from an impending war, or any other reason. All I know is how the bite felt, the burning rupturing every part of my body and dropping me to the ground mid-run."

Taking a minute to absorb that information, given my choice to be turned if it would save my life, I realized it didn't affect me nearly as much as it might have when I first arrived in Forks.

"When I woke, another vampire – Alonsa – had found me, also new to this life," Carmen's story went on nostalgically. "I can only assume both of our towns were caught in a battle and our parents sent us away to save us…"

Shaking herself from contemplation, Carmen continued, "Alonsa and I traveled together for a short time until she met her mate, Mateo. We three then traveled together for a time, adding two more females to our number along the way. Alonsa wished me not to be friendless, you see. Mateo didn't like the process of creating new vampires, though, due to the way he often drained them before they could truly turn."

"I will always appreciate their attempts to take care of you," Eleazar added sweetly.

"Mateo finally succeeded twice, although he need never have gone through the trouble, honestly," Carmen explained mournfully even as she smiled for her husband's kindness. "My new companions, Teresa and Paloma, made a bloody scene in a village square and within days, the Volturi arrived. Alonsa bid me run, but I stayed for my friend. When the Volturi judged Teresa and Paloma guilty, Mateo fought back. His death spurred Alonsa into a fury and she, too, was killed."

Resigned discomfort passed through the golden eyes of both Spanish vampires, but particularly through those of Carmen. Her past troubled her still, even with the great length of time since the events had occurred. Such was the negative aspect of having perfect recall.

"As terrible as it was, though," added Carmen more easily, "the arrival of the Volturi did bring a far more important part of my life into fruition."

Fortunately for Carlisle, Esme, and I, Carmen and Eleazar turned to each other in significant love at exactly the same moment our expressions grew stiff and sour. A mere beat of my heart passed when the Spanish vampires turned back, unaware that their friends' faces had appeared so unhappy and mistrustful a moment before.

"So you both met when Carmen's coven was destroyed," I frowned in concentration, the leap of assumption not all that difficult. "Not the best of meeting times, I imagine."

"Ah, but we knew we needed each other," Eleazar smiled and shrugged gracefully. "Even at that dark time, there was a connection between us. How happy I have always been, that I chose to ask for her life and freedom."

"Wait, they were going to destroy Carmen, too?"

My incredulity could not be contained.

"They believed I would fight them also," Carmen shrugged awkwardly. "Eleazar was the guard who restrained me, however, and he told Aro I had not struggled. Aro's patience and understanding still amaze me. He stopped to listen to Eleazar for reasons I will never guess at."

"To this day, I believe Carlisle had some good influence on Aro's violent way of life at the time," Eleazar said, both teasingly and seriously. The glint in those eyes caught me off guard, as it seemed to do with Carlisle and Esme.

"Perhaps so," Carlisle scarcely allowed, gentle voice finding him more easily than expected. "It may have been a momentary vision of kindness… Yet he would not change his lifestyle, no matter how long my influence reigned in Volterra."

"Agreed, my friend," Eleazar nodded casually. " _These violent delights have violent ends_ , as the master playwright once put to paper."

A small smile passed Carlisle's lips at the play on the time of his birth, but he spoke not a word to the unasked questions festering between friends. Carmen eyed Eleazar keenly, seeming to mark each part of her mate's expression. Beside Carlisle, Esme did the same of her husband, only far more sympathetically.

"Carlisle," Eleazar broke the silence firmly, reaching out with strong, supportive fingers to grip the doctor's wrist. "Tell us what has happened."

"I wish I could," Carlisle murmured, eyeing the grip of his friend with deep gratitude.

"Is it so dangerous?" Carmen inquired, nearly whispering the words.

"More than you can imagine," Esme finished for her husband, leaning on his shoulder comfortingly. The doctor turned to press his face upon Esme's caramel-brown locks, needy of reassurance he could not claim for himself.

"Do you not trust us, then?" Eleazar persisted, appearing wounded as he pulled back from Carlisle.

"It's not a matter of trust, but safety," I pleaded in the Cullen parents' stead. "The slightest hint that could be gleaned in passing… It could be the end of all our futures. Please understand… If it were an option, they would tell you without hesitation. Sharing simply isn't a choice at this time."

"And would you tell us, young Mireille?" Carmen asked, startlingly grim of a sudden as she stared into my human eyes.

Reflecting the golden sight unflinchingly, I concurred, "If it became a choice I was able to make… then yes, I would."

"Thank you for that," Eleazar sighed, new acceptance gilding his manner in spite of the ongoing distaste so plain on his features.

Silence morphed into a form all its own in the aftermath of the vague, high-handed discussion. No more discussion took place in the kitchen, yet none left the room. Statues in their stress, the vampires remained stoic and still, guiding my own chaotic mind through its paces with comparable human strength.

Leah's invitation wavered and fluttered at the back of every thought slipping between the creases of my mind, an ever impossible question of do or don't. This alliance with the wolves had a potential to save everyone from the likes of James or Victoria or even the Volturi's cruelty and greed. Not simply by force of numbers, but by the earlier and stronger bonds that could arise from such an alliance.

Who knew what events could rearrange, as a result of that closeness, to prevent derogatory intervention in the Cullens' lives? My efforts with the wolves, if attempted in full and unprecedented determination, might very well aid in the bonds of trust both wolves and vampires would need to evade notice of unfriendly attacks and survive into their happily ever after.

The question of attending in La Push plagued me still, for reasons I could not fathom. Why did bonding and connecting with Leah at her party seem to me such a powerful and unbreakable event? I had no answer – not even a hint of a suggestion – and it frightened me more than almost anything ever had before.

"Why are you all thinking so hard?"

Emmett's bombastic voice struck the gold mine right in the rock bed, bursting through the wall of plain, dirty stone to break free into sparkling shards of honey-hued metal.

Carlisle found the will to chuckle, a feat of fantastic skill I admired him for with great depth. Tendrils of warmth seeped back into the house and life returned, however marginally, to the five of us who had fallen from easy camaraderie.

"Why haven't you finished decorating?" Emmett went on, _tsk_ -ing as he observed the half-full boxes of décor and ornaments left out in the main room of the house. "I tell you, we give you an inch of lazy time and you run a mile with it. Come on, now, let's back to work!"

Snapping his hands together in unexpected posh civility, the big vampire brought a tiny smile to my face and a small laugh from Esme.

Eleazar and Carmen found no such laughter or amusement, but a softer companionship returned to those dour faces as they rose to assist Carlisle and Esme in the continuation of our project while I ate the last cold remains of my lunch.

From the doorway in the connected mudroom, both Jasper and Edward stared in appraisal at the vampires around the house. Jasper eyed Carlisle and Eleazar especially closely, the hint of narrowing in his eyelids giving away the use of his empathic ability. When in the domestic environment, Jasper controlled his physical tells far less vividly – or perhaps I paid far too much attention to my vampire companions.

As for Edward, I had no silly inclinations that he focused on anything but my own mind. His parents surely gained a momentary attentiveness, and of course the unhappy frustration of Eleazar and Carmen must have made a dent... but the bronze-haired vampire zeroed in on the greatest anxiety like a circling hawk about to pounce on its unsuspecting prey.

Except, of course, for the fact I was not unsuspecting in the least.

Regardless my knowingness, Edward took his time approaching me, hanging up his outerwear with great care and taking much longer than he required to go upstairs and change out of his hunting clothes.

If anyone noticed the immediate retrieval of my cold weather clothes, none spoke to it or made visible notice.

Suspecting this conversation would not be optional, I stood dolefully and let Edward help my into my outerwear before we headed into the cold again.

Edward's extreme patience and gentility as our walk started only made me nervous. The pianist spent little effort hiding his intensity, although he also ascertained a measure of subtle calmness mixed into the zealous expectations buried in topaz orbs.

A solid distance into the majestic landscape of ever-changing Alaska, out of the earshot of the household we left behind, Edward removed himself from silence.

Casting an uncomfortable, but steady glance to the ground and back up, Edward shifted lean shoulders backward and at last revealed his mind to me, "This is going too far. For you, in particular, Mireille. Please tell me you're beginning to see that."

Stubbornly wordless in response to the leveled query, I denied Edward an answer and placed my gaze straight and narrow towards the cold, frosted ground beneath my boots.

Sighing broadly in the absence of shared understanding, Edward shifted once more, restlessly, but found further words to persuade the truth from my lips.

"The others will notice soon," the bronze-haired vampire informed me rather fiercely, attempting a fearful approach oriented more around guilt than true persuasion.

Hearing the short thought as it passed through my brain, Edward replied, "Yes, I am trying guilt. I'm prepared to try anything right now if it will stop you from hurting yourself unnecessarily. Please, Mireille, it's difficult watching you torment yourself this way. Wouldn't it be better to share it with everyone?"

"No, it wouldn't," I insisted quietly, facing the trees far abroad as a means of avoiding what would doubtlessly be an incredibly poignant expression on Edward's features.

"You can avoid everyone except me," Edward pressed with greater strength, growing frustrated and turning his body towards me, one foot seared atop a gray stone already grinding slightly to dust. "No matter how much you block or re-route your thoughts, I _know_ you. I won't allow you to hurt yourself if I have any means of stopping it. Even if it means telling them myself."

"No!" I nearly growled the words, wrenching my eyes to burn head-to-head with Edward's topaz sight, even at a foot of height difference.

"I don't understand what's so terrible about it!" Edward growled in return, much more impressive in his anger. "You trust every one of us. You have faith in every one of us. Why, oh why, can't you feel it now?"

"It's not about trust or faith in the family," I countered weakly, dropping my gaze once again and desperately clawing for sense and calmness in the wake of Edward upsetting my precarious balance of evasion.

Edward too often forced me to face the truth, as I often did in return, but this time I should have known better than to let him see the need for such tactics. I should have blocked him more stringently and been better prepared for his attempt to change my mind.

"I heard that," Edward remarked, growing gentle and concerned in the wake of my inadvertent mental revelation. What had been a voice of wrath became wisps of worried warmth in the chill, hushed world. "Wouldn't it help to you use your unique brand of foresight?"

"No!" I barked loudly at the lean vampire, lifting ferocious blue back to distressed gold in a heartbeat.

"For God's sake, Mireille, tell me why this bothers you so horribly," Edward murmured, increasingly troubled in the face of staunch quietude, his own words sensationally anticlimactic to my violent reply.

"I don't know!" I exclaimed, teeth grit with precise aversion. "It looms over my every waking minute, massive and ominous, lurking with no obvious hints or clues how it will all work! All I know is it tells me to go. No matter how much I hate it, no matter how much is terrifies me, every time I try, my alleged 'gift' says to go! And _I don't want to_!"

Chest heaving with the aggressive force of untapped emotions, I impressed a senseless quiet and serenity over my spirit that I couldn't truly feel, slowing breaths to a safe range of tempo and force.

Caught in rapt, helpless silence, Edward found little else to say, but let my progress continued until the air passed normally in and out of my lungs.

"All right," Edward finally whispered. Pools of topaz burned with sadness and narrow unhappiness as the lean vampire pulled an arm around my shoulders and squeezed with purposeless reassurance meant only to comfort a blind, wounded creature. "We'll say no more about it."

Huddled against the ever-cold lapel of Edward's coat, I let my eyes slip closed and shoved away all fears and thoughts until such a time as the world righted itself and terror receded.

Thrown under the shadow of night upon our return, Edward and I drew more attention than I would have preferred, Jasper especially eyeing us in fervent potency of observation.

"At last," Irina remarked from the living area, teasing quality not entirely drowning out her worry. "We thought perhaps Edward forgot the landscape of Denali."

"Very amusing, Irina," Edward retorted with a marked roll of his eyes, but no other outward reaction. After a pause, Edward added, intrigued, "Ah, I see you have plans. Excellent. Mireille would enjoy that."

"What would I enjoy?" I wondered, frowning at Edward's high-handed omission of detail.

"We heard of Eleazar and Carmen's afternoon activities with you," Kate explained. "It seemed an ideal time to share our own history with you."

"It's a perfect time," I smiled without any real joy.

No one required another awkward circumvention of the Cullens' and my own insurmountable knowledge of the Volturi, yet it seemed out of my hands to prevent the situation taking place. Granted, the entire Cullen family circled us now, enabling a whole other world of support and alternative explanations that had not been available to Carlisle, Esme, and I at lunchtime. Nonetheless, I felt as though my steps would lead to the guillotine.

Edward nudged me kindly but solidly towards the living area, a squeeze of my shoulder the last soothing touch before we headed face-first into the fire.

* * *


	12. Chapter 11: Afraid

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Notes:** Back in a groove, I think! Happy to offer up a new chapter that feels – at least to me – to have organically grown beyond the general climate I have so far written. But maybe it's just me. :) I haven't included the Denali sisters' story in the chapter. I feel it has been very well explained already in the story and in the books, whereas Eleazar & Carmen's story was very generalized and the details were left wanting, even in the official guide. Thanks for all the readers and comments!

**Previously** – Mir worried over Quileutes/Leah invite. Edward/Mir debated telling Cullens of invite. Mir/Edward talk Alice fashion obsession. Edward suggested using Mir's gift, Mir frustrated by gift. Alice/Rose/Denali sisters planned Black Friday shopping. Jazz helped Esme cook for Thanksgiving, Mir cooked also, Jazz stopped Mir injury. Denalis tried not to watch Mir ear, Edward didn't care, Mir amused. Em gave Mir stuffed penguin. Mir couldn't sleep, Edward distracted with conversation, Carlisle/Esme often checked in. Alice/Rose/Sisters went shopping, Jazz/Em/Edward went hunting. Mir helped decorate Denali home for Xmas. Mir forgot lunch while working, Esme compared Mir  & Carlisle. Volturi mentioned, Eleazar noticed tension in Carlisle/Esme/Mir. Carmen/Eleazar tell Mir history, Volturi mentioned further. Carlisle/Esme wouldn't explain tension, Mir claimed not able to tell, Eleazar/Carmen accepted reluctantly. Jazz/Em/Edward returned, Em distracted all. Edward took Mir on walk, Edward/Mir debated telling of Leah invite. Mir disturbed, Edward worried but allowed silence. Sisters planned to tell Mir history.

> **Chapter 11: Afraid**

In the wake of distinct discomfort, paramount of efforts to dislodge searching questions and awkward, inexplicable reactions whenever discussing the Volturi or Aro himself, Jasper faced an impossible time attempting to quell whatever raging emotions or curiosities pelted between every vampire in the house.

The former soldier left me very much to myself in that regard, amazingly enough, and I wondered if I was so blank and numb in my mindless listening that Jasper found no need to even try.

A sharp inhale overcame Edward beside me on the sofa, but as engrossed as everyone appeared to be in the grief of the three sisters, no one seemed to pay the sound any mind.

In a way I had not expected, Jasper calmed the waves of the blistering ocean before it could rise to a riptide of feeling, yet none showed any notice of the empathic vampire's efforts. Given enough of the effects, the assembled vampires calmed and suspicions walked away from their minds at least long enough for Edward to walk me up to my guest room and settle down in a chair beside me for the rest of the night.

Having forgone dinner in favor of the sisters' stories, I awoke restless and irritable to a raging appetite. Edward's relieved chuckle brought a glare onto my face which only increased the lean vampire's humor while I rose to get ready and have breakfast.

Facing the onslaught of not only my own troubles and secrets, but also the entirety of the Cullens' needs for secrecy with the Denalis, as well as the sadness encompassing the Denali coven's own slew of pasts, I felt a great need to sink into mental contemplation and find a stretch of peace.

Expecting very little in the way of peace, it of course startled me when Edward mentioned Carmen's continued offer of painting supplies.

"She would love to see you at work again," Edward explained genuinely as I toweled my hair, tone considerably softer than our disagreement the previous evening would have proved.

"I suppose there's no reason not to accept," I considered quietly, staring at the floor in absentminded thought.

"I'll let her know," Edward smiled vaguely and disappeared in a blink.

Setting aside the towel, I focused on working with my hair while Edward spoke with Carmen. Not that she hadn't heard my acceptance, of course, but courtesy was not lost on us.

"Don't wait."

Jerking sharply towards the doorway and the breathy murmur, I faced Alice's knowing gaze, her eyes tight with a sight of something unknown to me.

"Wait for what?" I dared to ask in the same tiny murmur of breath, all too informed of what the tiny vampire might mean.

"It's already barbed," Alice pressed upon me firmly, but still in that soft voice. "Everyone feels it. Don't wait until we go back. There will be a moment tomorrow. Take it."

Giving no further instruction nor clues, not even allowing me a reply, Alice flashed from the room in a wisp of blue, turquoise, and cream; long coat flapping in the air behind her exit.

Edward's face upon his return to my room made no bones about the fact that when he left to speak with Carmen, he knew Alice's intention. Sharing a long and unhappy look with the silent vampire, I nevertheless finished getting ready and eventually followed Edward downstairs.

My chosen subject to paint, the Denali coven's home itself, surprised me by becoming far more difficult to achieve than the vast landscape I had painted several months earlier. Yet a challenge would be just what I needed, offering a lengthy stretch of time to wallow in mental convolutions.

Sketches passed under my hands like the air I breathed, a constant state of flux unparalleled by everything except my own head full of thinking.

Over and over I replayed each moment of the Denalis' frustration with every Cullen family member's tension regarding the Volturi, the Quileutes' desire to 'intervene' for me, skating with Jacob and Leah, Leah's invitation and my fear of accepting it, Edward's argument over my gift and being truthful, Alice's warning…

Everything had grown disproportionate again and I feared the repercussions of it all. Severe dark strokes of color on canvas finally expressed the severity of my displeasure in recent events and how they all collided together in one sure barrel of chaos.

One thing, however, began to stand out as extremely significant amidst that chaotic mess.

Alice made warnings at important moments – moments that might change the course of any given day, week, month, or even year. The psychic vampire had been utilizing and manipulating her gift since 1920, well aware of all its quirks and flaws right up until she learned of the wolves' presences.

How could I ever ignore Alice's warnings?

Groaning over the realization seemed an excellent avenue of venting, as well as ignoring Edward's satisfied humming.

A few more violent thrusts of the paintbrush expelled a small part of my frustrations, but not enough for my liking.

"I take it you are, at least, going to take Alice's advice?" Edward assumed, glancing up mischievously from his seat on the ground.

Fully prepared to scowl at the pianist for his satisfaction, I stopped short when Edward's features entered my sight. Beneath the smug humor, Edward truly worried for me. I had known it before then, obviously, but it struck me so plainly now that he attempted to keep it buried in safe containment.

"Yes, I'll take Alice's advice," I answered more plainly and gently than I had responded to Edward the entire trip.

With my thoughts having found only one tiny avenue of resolution, Edward was good enough not to press anything else upon me that day.

Painting venture aside, I did absolutely nothing except sit with Edward listening to music all the night through, finally falling asleep in my chair.

In the morning, retaining the vestiges of Jasper's empathic influence, everyone behaved stunningly well, forgoing any confrontation on our last day of visiting. Even Eleazar and Carlisle shared good humor over Emmett and Jasper's ridiculous bets on the Astros' capabilities next season.

"Do you still play baseball, then?" Eleazar asked through a chuckle.

"We haven't had any good storms the last few years, I fear," Carlisle answered with a laugh of his own, "but yes, we do still play when we have the opportunity."

"Mireille hasn't even been able to see it yet!" Alice complained in a whiny tone.

"We'll get there eventually," Edward commented amusedly to his tiny sister, shaking his head and smiling.

"Do you play baseball, Mireille?" Tanya wondered.

"Afraid not," I sighed.

"I'll teach you," Edward announced impulsively.

"If you want to try the impossible," I remarked under my breath, bringing a laugh from the gathered vampires.

Sure enough, Edward did indeed want to try the impossible. The lean vampire dragged me out into the nearest broad expanse of empty land not two hours later, having gone into town to buy two gloves and several baseballs just for the occasion. The weather had cleared to a temperate fall afternoon, not cold enough to warrant a heavy coat.

"Here," Edward insisted, offering up a baseball and a worn glove he must have worked himself with vampire speed and strength. "We'll focus on throwing and catching for the moment."

"You know, I used to be afraid of this," I confessed, embarrassed but biting back a humorous smile at my own fears as I tossed the ball up and down in my hand.

"Why were you afraid?" Edward asked, brows furrowing in positive curiosity now that he couldn't read my thoughts and memories clearly.

Shrugging a little haplessly, I answered honestly, "Every time the ball came whirring towards my face, I panicked. I ducked away whenever it came close. It drove my teammates crazy in gym class."

Edward had already begun laughing halfway through my explanations as I allowed one expressly awful and embarrassing memory to creep forward.

Stuck between jock Andrew Kaczynski and cheerleader Jenny Fraser in the makeshift outfield, my nervous anticipation of being knocked out by a flying baseball hadn't been helped in any way by the oncoming precipitation. Pressed into a harried game by Ms. Hanson before the rain hit hard and diverted the class, my anxieties had unconscionably risen as the game progressed to its proposed end.

At the eleventh hour, with a light sprinkle of rain coming over field and a man on first, Jenny and Andrew had come up with a double-play idea – right fielder Brian Gardner always hit into double plays, even on the school team. Caught in the middle of a planned play far above and beyond my sparing ability in the game, I had panicked before the ball ever left the pitcher's glove.

Of course, Brian had chosen that moment to perform the unexpected and knock the ball right into center field. The ball had flown straight above me, a perfect downward arc that would – for any other person on the team – have meant a surefire out.

Not so for little Mireille Holden.

At the very moment a normal person would have reached up and held open a broad glove to catch the perfect drop of the baseball, I had yelped in terror, closed my eyes, and ducked as I always did.

Waking from blackness some time later, I had found myself soaked to the bone and carted off to the hospital for a hard knock right on top of my head.

Edward's laughter wound down to a snort as the memory petered off into my head once more.

"I kind of hope Coach Clapp starts baseball in the spring," I admitted wryly. "It would be fun to play now."

In a wink, Edward's mood shifted.

"If we're lucky," the lean vampire muttered surprisingly darkly.

When I thought about the possible events of the coming spring, suddenly I realized how unlikely my trivial little fun and games would be.

"Let's just play," Edward suggested quietly, stepping some ways back from me and ignoring the moment with powerful intensity.

"All right," Edward started over, now straightened out with sensible calm despite his previous displeasure. "Just try to catch it when it comes over your head. I'll aim it just right so you have it right in your sights, all right?

While I lost my fear of being hit by the ball and now refrained from ducking, multiple attempts at throwing and catching failed in making me any more skilled at baseball than I had been in high school. Unfortunately, Edward found both the time and the emotional capacity to be annoyed.

"Just leave it, Edward!" I barked at the seventeen-year-old when he tried to come forward with more instruction, quickly observing the telltale sings of a soon-to-come fury of impatience and agitation. "I'm terrible at baseball. Let it lie."

Had Esme and Carlisle not come forward at the right moment, I knew with pure truth that Edward would most certainly _not_ have let it lie.

"That's enough for one day, Edward," Carlisle commanded his first son, matching by Esme's offering of a scolding motherly expression.

Sufficiently cowed for the time being, Edward tossed a baseball and glove back in his gym bag and reappeared beside me to take my gear as well before returning to my side.

Carlisle and Esme were not our only visitors, I soon realized.

Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper all appeared at the edge of the empty field in a blur of color and wind, each couple then taking time to walk across the browning green with human speed.

Clearly, this was the moment Alice referenced the previous day. Catching the tiny woman's eye, I accepted her nod as confirmation and heaved a huge sigh.

"Are you going to share?" Rosalie dared voice, more sarcastically than I expected. Esme shushed the beautiful vampire with a scathing glare.

"Are you going to let me?" I retorted sharply, eyeing the blonde vampire in irritation that barely penetrated her disgruntled façade.

"That's enough from you, as well," Carlisle informed us both, the patriarch finally gaining hold of Rosalie's frustration.

"Go ahead, Mir," Esme told me kindly. "We're all listening."

Risking one preparatory look at Edward, I found his sympathy and worry had returned in spades. Nodding gently, the lean youth encouraged me to speak plainly.

Giving in at last, I breathed deeply, turned back to the others, and spit out, "Leah invited me to her eighteenth birthday party on the eleventh."

"This will be held at La Push, I assume?" Carlisle worriedly concluded.

Esme's expression engendered precisely what I had desired to avoid when Leah first called.

"Yes, at La Push," Edward answered, placing a supportive hand on my shoulder.

"What about your ability?" Carlisle suggested patiently. "What do you glean from it?"

"That… I should go…" I mumbled uncomfortably, already expecting such a recommendation and the trust in my gift that soon followed.

"Well, I think that's all you need to know," Emmett tried to bolster my weak mood.

"Perhaps this is a way for you to expand and make connections for your future," Carlisle pondered hesitantly.

"It sounds like you might _need_ to go," Esme decided less unhappily than before, clearly reassured by my ability's confirmation of the event. "For yourself, if no one else."

"This is why you've been upset and restless the past few days," Jasper stated rather than asked, obviously not concerned with my answer.

"It is," I responded anyhow, more uncomfortable than I had been since the night of the bonfire.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Rosalie snipped, arms crossed tightly across her chest.

"Come on, Mir, you know you can trust us with this kind of stuff," Emmett commented, frowning.

"Apparently not," Jasper muttered, surprising me with his real upset. I had no inkling about his feelings the previous day and now he treated me almost like a traitor, to say nothing of Rosalie's reaction.

"I was afraid, okay?" I burst with, deciding I didn't need to experience any further accusatory mannerisms from the family I cared for. "Afraid of having to face them again, afraid of seeing Esme and Carlisle look so terrified, afraid they might transform too close and I'll be like Emily, afraid they won't let me leave La Push—"

Cutting off the words as suddenly as a freight train slamming against a stone wall, I stopped in terrible realization of my own response.

I had never thought I might not _leave_ La Push.

Never once had the fear entered my mind… until now.

"It's not just a fear," I muttered in horror to myself, mouthing nothing as the full weight and ramifications of my unexpected fear sunk in at last. "Oh God, it's going to happen! Edward, I can't go there! I can't!"

Panic seared my veins closed, cut off my air as the very thought of being held hostage by the wolves. Held captive and far away from the very people who knew me best and cared for me. It was a horrifyingly fearful prospect the likes of which I could barely contemplate.

"Mireille, look at me!" Edward's hard voice intruded on my quick journey towards hyperventilation, lean hands supplemented by Carlisle's own clinical grasp as the doctor anxiously checked my vitals. "It was not your gift! Do you understand? You never asked anything, never wondered about it, never envisioned what might happen. This wasn't like any of your other sensations. Not one of them. This is _not_ an intuition!"

Reason found its way slowly into my thoughts, aided by the thin fingers holding my face in a grip of steady support I clung to unashamedly.

"Come now, sweetheart," Carlisle murmured, slipping his arms around my shoulders. The Cullen patriarch laid his face against the top of my head, pulling me into a comforting hug when Edward finally released me to his father's grasp. "You're all right. No one is going to keep you captive. I promise."

"But everything and everyone says I should go," I argued, near tears at the thought being kept from Carlisle and Esme's warm love or Alice's cheerful energy or Edward's deep understanding.

"Does Alice always follow her visions?" Carlisle continue to speak in restful low murmuring, rubbing my back soothingly. "Does Jasper always act on the emotions he feels or does Edward always act on the thoughts he hears? Of course they do not. Not all visions and sensations must be followed. They must be accorded their due acknowledgement, of course, but not every single instinct should be acted upon when it is felt. If that were so, I would never have stopped myself feeding on human blood all those centuries ago."

In his enduring kindness and understanding, Carlisle ensured what he always had – hope and trust. My breathing slowed and evened itself while the wild panic dissolved into the senseless background noise it had been before. Given a fresh, lasting sense of calm and clarity of thought, I made my decision without much thought – I would not attend Leah's birthday.

Alice's catastrophic gasp broke through every ounce of calm Carlisle instilled in me, bringing one distinct fear to the forefront of everything.

"Oh God, Alice, please no," I almost cried as I spoke, clamping my eyelids closed against what had to be coming.

"Mir, I'm sorry," Alice answered, sounding near to tears herself. "I don't see any other way."

"What's going on?" Esme pressed, concern risen to new heights.

Jasper instantly followed, "Alice, what did you see?"

Even as Alice said the damning words, Edward heaved a long, drawn sigh of unhappy resignation.

"If Mir doesn't go, our futures will disappear."

"You mean they'll come for us," Emmett surmised darkly.

"I assume so," was all Alice could manage to say.

"How can such a trivial event make such an enormous difference?" Rosalie snapped, growing waspish at the unbelievable caveat.

"I don't know how," Alice barely breathed. "I only know that it will."

"This is a precursor to their fears for Bella," Jasper inferred quite reasonably. "Isn't it?"

"They fear Mireille being brainwashed or forced into change," Edward spoke his piece at last, the depths of his voice grim and heavy. "If Mireille doesn't go – if something she says or does at the party never occurs… I believe that may be the reason they come after us in some mad effort to prevent her death or change."

"And for some unholy reason," Rosalie growled viscerally in the clear air, fists now clenching at her sides, "Mireille is the _only_ one who can change that?"

"She is," Edward finished sadly. "Until Bella arrives in January – and I hope to God it doesn't take that long – Mireille is the only human in a position to change the Quileutes' minds about us."

"Oh, Mireille…" Esme sympathized, her voice a wobbling mess of emotion.

Carlisle clutched my trembling body closer into the fold of his fatherly embrace, not daring to let me go as realization set in with clawing veracity.

"I have to attend Leah's birthday," I gathered at the last, the sound of speech dead as silence fell between us all.

For how could I ever ignore Alice's warnings?

Returned to the house after a fresh, rousing debate between the Cullens, I said nothing as we came back inside. Edward walked me upstairs, a barely-concealed frown teasing the edges of his lips while I settled into more silent thinking.

If the Denalis noticed any depression and anxiety as we all made to leave that evening, not one of them said a word. Indeed, each and every vampire smiled as if there had never been any tension over talk of the Volturi or Aro.

My painting of the Denali home remained unfinished, but Carmen promised to keep it stored safely until we visited again and I could finish the half-done structure. Wondering only if I would ever see them again, I shook myself mentally and thanked the Spanish woman for her promise.

Upon our return to Forks in the early morning hours, the family set about debating my circumstances in La Push the very moment we arrived at the house. Edward fended off questions long enough to get me up the stairs and let me take my time changing for bed. With 'Moonlight Sonata' as the backdrop of rest, I found at least a small amount of true sleep before waking up later in the morning.

School seemed a method of torture now, after what I knew I must do. The idea of spending time away from the Cullens when I might not see them again caused deep resentment in my spirit towards the Quileutes.

Edward, surprisingly, gave me as good an argument against resentment as anyone was likely to give, citing only that in resenting them, I matched their biased behavior and behaved no better than they did.

Calling Leah to inform her of my attendance at her birthday felt more difficult than keeping a sandcastle from disintegrating under an ocean wave, but Leah was no fool and she could already sense my fears coiling. Surprisingly kindly, the young woman offered her support if I needed help to get away from the drama at any point. If only 'drama' was the only thing I would need to escape, I thought to myself as we ended the call.

Fear continued to follow me in spite of Leah's vow of support and I traveled through classes with two major lines of thought that would last most of the long and anxious two weeks until Leah's birthday.

First, I had to see Angela as much as possible and hopefully influence her to be a stronger person and make her own way without worry over her height or her personality. Always a dear friend and never a torment to spend time with, the tall girl would make my first task a joy.

Second, I would make an effort to find out the source of Jessica's trouble. If I was not to see her again, given a worst-case scenario, I wanted to leave her the best impression of who she should be and not who society and popularity dictated. Thus, I made the plain decision to prioritize my conversations and bonding time with Jessica and Angela above all other school events over the coming two weeks.

Jessica's situation proved easier to figure than I planned on.

At lunch, Katie, Conner, and Lee all disappeared into the library to work on a Chemistry project they had left until the last minute. Angela, sweet as she was, agreed to help on the project she already completed, although I proudly noted she insisted she would only give clues and hints, not the full answers.

That left Jessica and I sitting together, something Alice and Edward quietly explained to their siblings when they stared at my new choice of seat.

Jessica remained absorbed in the same sports catalog from our diner meeting, a fact I marveled at. With Conner Packham's birthday the very next evening, surely she had already ordered for the special day… Frustrated by that nuisance of a fact, I quickly made a decision in my head that was very much unlike me.

Edward eyed me in slight surprise from the Cullens' far table, but Alice's posture straightened almost imperceptibly. The small woman turned far enough to the side to let me know she understood, rising from her seat before Edward could argue the choice. Surprised myself, I wondered what she was going to do, but AS Alice lifted her tray and turned, I swiftly understood – she was going to do the dirty work for me.

Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie all stared surreptitiously and Edward heaved an exasperated sigh when Alice walked right behind distracted Jessica and followed through with my scheme while I sat and watched.

From a precariously perched tray, unfinished soda and pizza fell right onto Jessica's mint green blouse and pale-colored blue jeans.

"Oh!" Jessica squealed unhappily at precisely the same moment Alice did.

"Alice!" Jessica wailed at the tiny vampire, failing to notice her sports catalog slipping right onto the floor while she raged at the smallest Cullen. "Why couldn't you be more careful? This is the first time I've worn this shirt!"

"I'm sorry, Jessica!" Alice mourned aloud, playacting her role with utter perfection as she fluttered haplessly over the ruined clothing. "Oh, gosh, it's such a pretty blouse, too! I'm so sorry!"

"Jess, let us pay for it, okay?" I offered kindly, morphing my face into something approaching sympathy. "We can go shopping this weekend, if you want."

"Let's hope they still have it!" Jessica nearly pouted.

Exhaling in disbelief and frustration over her luck, the dark-haired girl stomped out of the cafeteria in a huff, muffled laughter following in her wake.

Alice and I continued to hold our sympathy and unhappiness for a few moments, until other students' interest naturally drifted away and eyes no longer sought the scene of the incident.

As casually as you please, Alice sighed and stooped to pick up the remains of her 'lunch' from the ground. If her hand happened to pick up Jessica's catalog on the way up to the trash bin, no one paid it any mind.

After lunch, economics class played host to irritation I found difficult to suppress, even with Jasper's mild assistance. Once the empathic vampire had slipped a three-word note from Alice into my hand, he had little means of stopping confusion when it had no end.

_Seattle Redhawks. Returned._

Infinitely reassured Alice had already returned the catalog to Jessica somehow, I pondered the information she had found when flipping through the booklet – at natural vampire speed, no doubt.

So Jessica had been looking at memorabilia for the Seattle Redhawks… Frowning, I supposed Jessica might have meant what she said about buying for Conner. It was entirely possible that, despite my misgivings, Conner liked the Redhawks and Jessica was simply looking to purchase for a future event – perhaps Christmas?

Discomfort spread throughout my mind, a vastly different sensation compared to what I felt about the Quileutes and Leah's birthday. Suspicion marked my thoughts and I couldn't erase its probabilities. Something continued to feel off about Jessica's catalog and Conner's birthday, but I had no idea what.

Whatever confusion I faced, there were no further clues to go on – not at the present time – and I certainly didn't want to directly meddle more than I had already done with Alice.

Giving up would only be temporary, I promised myself resolutely. It was that thought which carried me through the end of class and back to the house after school.

The slamming of a door shocked my eardrums, causing me to turn just as a breeze blew past me and through the front door. Alice appeared at my side with a deep, anticipatory breath, but remained silent on our trek inside the house. Chancing a glance at the others walking with us, I felt surprised to see Edward missing.

The moment we stepped through the front door, it was to find Edward pacing the floor agitatedly.

"How was this any different than asking me what Jessica's thinking?" the seventeen-year-old asked loudly, so visibly upset it startled me.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded of the vehement vampire.

"Your little ploy to get the catalog out of Jessica's hands," Edward scornfully described my plan. "I'm not sure how that fits with your sanguine decision to let fate show you the truth?"

Outright accusing rather than actually questioning, Edward had my hackles raising before I fully acknowledged the sensation for myself.

"What righteous crusade are you on now?" Rosalie cut into her brother before I could think of a single word.

"You used Alice's gift in exactly the same way you might have used mine!" Edward snapped at me instead of answering his blond-haired sister.

"No, she didn't," Alice interceded forcefully on my behalf. "Mireille was going to do it herself, which I saw, but I knew there wouldn't be enough time for her to look over the entire catalog before Jessica noticed it was missing. I took over, Edward. Mireille had no idea what I was going to do until I did it."

Deflating from his righteous anger enough to see sense, Edward took a deep breath of the tense air and grew progressively calmer.

By contrast, I began to heat up with indignant anger boiling in my veins. The fury rose in my chest and burned my face with real, true heat in a matter of minutes. One foot barely lifted off the ground to take a single, ill-tempered step in Edward's direction when a set of cold fingers grasped my upper arm in unyielding strength.

"Don't say anything you'll regret later," Rosalie instructed tensely, enunciating each word as though it were an individual sentence. Blonde curls draped in obstruction of my vision as I turned a millimeter to address the statuesque woman.

"Why would I regret it?" I challenged the suggestion, sights riveted still to Edward's tight eyes across the floor.

"Why wouldn't you?" Rosalie tossed back in a snap.

"Do you regret anything you've ever said?" I retorted, just as biting in my tone as Edward had been when he accused me of being manipulative.

Time stretched in an endless void of tension and suspense while I impatiently awaited the blonde's answer.

Only breathing and a single heartbeat filled the nigh soundless room by the time Rosalie at last replied softly, "Sometimes."

Caught entirely off guard, I stumbled mentally over the unexpected response, eyes moving sharply from glaring at Edward to gazing up in wonder at the tall woman beside me.

Rosalie held my gaze a mere moment in time, but it was enough. Enough to see that some things could never be taken back – for some things, an apology would never enough. Eyeing the precise moment of my comprehension, Rosalie nodded slightly and released my arm.

Blanketed in silence and stillness, the room at large grew unbearably awkward and stiff. Unable to face the remaining anxiety, I hurried upstairs without catching anyone's eyes and grabbed the supplies I needed for the decorating crew. Spending a day with normal high school students would, I hoped, blind me to the dysfunction I myself had played a part in not a moment earlier.

Unsurprisingly, there were too many containers and items to carry, not to mention my purse and keys. Stranded in the mess I didn't want to handle yet and trying not to think of how little time I might have to fix it before long, I suddenly felt like crying.

For a moment I closed my eyes and tried impossibly hard not to let tears fall down my face. There was so much doubt, fear, and uncertainty awaiting all of us. Was it worth it to argue back and forth during such an unhappy time? I couldn't help but wonder.

Air flowing against my features drew my attention to a visitor in my room, but if the influx of calm was any indication, I at least didn't have to face Edward yet.

Several times the air swept my cheeks, the cooling sensation informing me keenly that tears had fallen regardless of my efforts. No noise sounded off in the quiet, but finally the wind dusted past one last time and the air stilled.

One lean arm wrapped around my shoulders to lead me forward, Jasper murmured gently, "Come on."

Allowing the world to come back into focus, I blinked several times to clear the wetness left behind, thankful beyond measure when Jasper offered up loose tissues for my use on the way down.

At the main floor, we encountered an even greater silence than my room, Alice being the only family member present as Jasper and I descended the last few steps. Unbelievably tiny yet absurdly strong in so many ways, Alice hugged me as was her way and offered gentle assurance.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered in my ear. "Just you wait and see."

Well-meaning and kind, Alice's words nonetheless inspired little more than appreciation for her loving care. She could no more promise me safety than she could promise me the moon.

Jasper corralled my unwilling form out to the Acura once his wife released me from her embrace. The former soldier became a force of soundless support, making sure I climbed into the driver's seat and started the car without any enormous fuss of emotions. Pressing firmly on my left hand, Jasper shored up my heart with forbearance of a magnitude I seldom felt lately, leaving me to a far less harrowing drive into town.

To a solid line of my friends' far more rugged cars, I pulled into the parking lot of Pastor Weber's church and parked beside Lee's burgundy Buick. Thankfully during my visit in Denali, Angela had already called everyone to arrange craft days in preparation for the Hospital Christmas Party. In my current mindset, I would never had been organized enough to do so.

"Hi, Ray!" came a chorus of my human friends' voices in the front lobby when I walked through the doors.

Disbelievingly I took notice of Mike and Eric also taking part in our craft activities. As to who had invited them, I couldn't have said, although I highly suspected Katie to be the guilty party in Eric's case. Mike, on the other hand, made no sense. Mike and Conner were friends up until the previous Spring, but after the fallout from Mike's idiotic behavior and Conner's relationship with Jessica, I doubted they still were.

"Hey," I found the will to say, mustering up a small smile.

Angela eyed me strangely from the edge of the group, but kept her thoughts to herself.

"Do you need help carrying the stuff in?" Conner offered.

"Yes, thank you," I accepted, hardly arguing the point after requiring Jasper's assistance back at the Cullen house. "Everything is in the back seat. Just be careful to ensure nothing tears or breaks, please."

"You got it, Ray," Austin agreed for everyone, leading the way out to the car alongside Conner.

Of everyone, only Angela stayed behind in the lobby, edging forward before anyone ran back with supplies.

"Everything okay?" the tall girl inquired, eyebrows scrunched in worry.

"As okay as they can be," I dodged the bullet with too much ease, adding before Angela could continue, "Who invited Mike and Eric?"

"You know Katie has a thing for Eric," Angela confirmed my suspicions, sighing both in resignation at my reticence and amusement at Katie's preference. "I don't know who invited Mike, though. Conner didn't want him here at first, so I don't think he was the one. Other than him, I don't know who else would have. He hasn't really made himself a favorite."

"Maybe he just overheard," I concluded, thoroughly dissatisfied. If there was one thing I knew, Mike wouldn't help on a project that didn't benefit him.

Angela opened her mouth, ready to speak further, but our boisterous band of friends bounded back into the church lobby with everything from the car and ended all chances of private discussion. Pleased by the opportunity to avoid my closest and most perceptive human friend, I pushed myself right along with Austin through the halls to the church teen room where our activities would commence.

After explaining the setup of our crafting materials, the snacks Esme had put together, and offering a stack of directions for each style of craft we planned on making, everyone dispersed to their own spots to begin working, a feat of casual pairing-up taken infinitely more seriously than necessary.

Mike and Conner faced a blot of quiet aggression before Lee and Jessica took a definite interest in pulling them different directions. Jessica took Conner away reminiscent of their better days together, and I felt a moment's ease for the change. One could only have hoped she snapped out of the strange cloud she had been under ever since our meeting at the diner.

Mike grumbled and glared at Conner and Jessica as they walked away, but allowed Lee to nudge him in the opposite direction to work. For half a second, I wondered if Lee was behind the invitation of the spiky-haired boy, but after Lee left Mike on his own, I quickly shook the idea out of mind.

Katie and Eric annoyed almost everyone with stale jokes and stupid giggles that put us in mind of Lauren and Tyler, but at least they kept it on the quieter side.

Austin was a nice guy, chatty under the right circumstances and free of any kind of pretense. He liked what he liked and he didn't bother to hide that from anyone. Something about Austin's simple, straightforward personality cheered me up a little – not half as well as Ben appeared to be doing for Angela, but well enough. Regardless, choosing to stay by Austin that afternoon rather than risk Angela's ongoing curiosity was in no way a bad choice for most of the time being.

"You feeling okay, Ray?" The selfsame auburn-haired boy asked quietly near the end of our craft afternoon, a frown crossing his mildly elfin features.

"Yes, I'm fine," I responded automatically, a painfully obvious tone even Mike could have taken notice of.

"Uh-huh," Austin agreed caustically. "Even if I believed the words, Ray, I wouldn't believe the face."

Turning with a sharp glare for the nosy teen, friend or not, I wondered when he had become so observant of my emotions.

Backing off with both hands in the air as a sign of surrender, Austin concluded the uncomfortable topic simply, "I'm just saying. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to."

Settling back into his work, the boy said no more on the subject for rest of the afternoon.

The only unfortunate part of working with Austin was that in some small way, he reminded of none other than Edward. A bit goofier and less mature than Edward, of course, but Austin still conveyed to my eyes some of Edward's kindness and understanding. He had noticed how I felt, asked after my welfare, and then let me decide if I wanted to talk or not. I couldn't even count how many times Edward had done the same since I met him.

Struck painfully by the harsh thoughts I had thought and the terrible things I nearly said out of frustration and anger – things only built up by the situation of La Push – I felt horrible for Edward. Even if he had accused me without asking my opinion, I could only guess how it must have looked to him when I used Alice's assistance to find out what troubled Jessica. Surely Edward only wanted me to remain true to myself and the decision I had made not to meddle with unnecessary powers.

Feeling abruptly worn out, I allowed gratitude to fill my spirit when Angela recalled the end of our crafting experience.

"Oh, guys, it's late!" Angela gasped, eyes on the wall clock. "We better leave it for next meeting."

"Shoot, I missed dinner!" Lee exclaimed, eyes wide as he stood rapidly and jogged for the door. "Gotta go. See you tomorrow!"

Given the time, everyone packed up swiftly and left the materials where they were, an instruction Angela passed on from her parents, before following Lee's footsteps. Conner and Jessica lingered longest as Angela tried to get my attention, but I made a getaway behind Ben before my tall friend could say a word.

Getting back in my car was the priority I drove myself to, followed up by one thing – getting back to the house and seeing Edward.

Shocked though I was, my arrival in the driveway stirred up the very same person I wanted to see, his lean body standing tall as I slowed to a stop and parked beside him.

Golden eyes followed my every move as I rushed out of the car with purse and keys in hand, coming to a solid stop before Edward's still form on the drive. Eyes locked, blue and gold, during a rushing quietude practically audible to my human eardrums.

"I'm sorry for—" two voices rose at the same time, moving to an expedient dance of sad laughter as the realizations hit home in the very same minute.

Edward expelled a heavy breath, looking as if he had run a mile in bad health. "I'm sorry for accusing you. I was… Well, I don't know what I was. I thought, in your desperation to help Angela and Jessica, you lowered yourself to do something beneath you – something that might speed up your goals before…"

"Before Leah's birthday," I finished his sentence in terrible softness.

Eyes closed to ward off the thoughts still running in my head, Edward took another breath and expelled it even harder than the first.

"Yes, before then," the lean vampire agreed tightly, reaching gingerly for my hand.

"You may have overreacted, but even so…" I began my own apology. "I'm sorry for the things I thought and nearly said. Those things _were_ beneath me. I was so angry, so quick… I don't want to be angry with you."

"Then let's not be angry," Edward nodded firmly, gentling again as he squeezed my hand warmly. "You need rest now. It's been a rather long day."

"I can't argue that," I accepted his diagnosis easily, giving no debate when Edward tugged me into the house, past a family giving me ample space to breathe, and up to a bedroom already filtered with the soft, melancholic melody of moonlight.

Beethoven played on, straight into the early morning when I woke of my own volition. Sleep held little claim on me the previous night and it didn't surprise me one bit that I had so little rest. Outside, the world dawned gray and wet, raining at a steady pace as I watched from under the covers.

A full day lay ahead of me and no matter how much I desired to lay in bed until the world came calling in desperation, I knew I could never avoid the coming events with my school friends unless I wanted the Cullens' cover to steadily sink.

School felt just as gray and dreary as the outside world when we arrived in the parking lot, and every class loped by in dull progress. None of my human friends were much more awake than I was, which made me feel a fraction less obvious in my bad humor.

After wasting a day of classes that didn't hold my attention, I didn't bother to try and make myself useful when I returned to the house with the Cullens.

"Why don't you take a nap, sweetheart?" Esme recommended gently, brushing back the hair from my forehead and taking the purse and keys from my hands. "Conner's birthday isn't until seven. You can catch at least a couple hours rest before you have to get ready."

"Okay," I concurred, lackluster and weary as I made my way back up to bed.

Esme didn't wake me at six o'clock, so much as remind a very awake young woman to get ready. Sleep hadn't reached me with so many thoughts bustling in the background of my mind.

Sighing tiredly at the notion of faking cheerful teenage life for the whole evening, I pushed my body out of bed all the same and dressed in the cream, black and crimson outfit I had already prepared several days before our trip to Alaska.

Conner Packham's seventeenth birthday stood to be a very informal and casual event at his family's house, so I didn't bother doing anything more than pulling my hair back into a ponytail and putting on the light daily makeup I usually wore before calling it good.

"Ready?" Edward asked out in the hall, my companion for the day thanks to Conner's personal invitation to us both.

Nodding at the gray and denim clothed vampire, I followed his lead out to the Volvo and hoped for something less aggravating than watching Katie fawn over Eric or running into an uninvited Mike who hadn't taken the hint of his declining popularity. Grasping the hand Edward offered me, I gave a squeeze more for my own reassurance than for Edward's.

There were few things I would have found more reassuring than to see Mike's car absent in the drive at Conner's house, but most probably involved Mike's absence some other way. Unfortunately, I was not so lucky. Light blue and well-worn, the old Oldsmobile stood all too clearly among the few cars sitting in the drive.

Snorting quietly in repressed humor, Edward shook his head and parked out front behind the car I had just bemoaned in my mind.

Everyone from school had already arrived, it seemed, leading to a very full house, loud songs, and tight moving space as Edward and I squeezed through the crowd from front door to kitchen.

'Hi' and 'hey' and 'hello' echoed across the house as students greeted me, and to a lesser extent Edward. Angela waved from a far corner, a gesture I returned with a smile thankfully more genuine than at the church.

"Glad you made it!" Conner shouted over the blaring music and the chatter of a few other boys from school.

"Thank you for your invitation," Edward replied loudly over the noise, and for a brief second in time I had to bite back a real smile. Such a gentlemanly response was, of course, nothing new where it concerned Edward. All of our human friends knew it was merely his manner, but it put a smile in my heart regardless.

With my thoughts once again occluded from Edward's mind-reading ability, he heard none of my mental puttering, but the mind-reader had not lost his eyesight. Catching a glimpse of my sentimental expression sent Edward's eyes rolling heavenward, albeit fondly.

Edging towards a stretch of empty wall space, Edward and I kept mostly to ourselves for a while, aided by the ever-present aura around my vampire companion that told most normal human beings to stay far, far away.

In our generically comfortable repose while the others mingled and ate, I took notice as usual of the decorations around us. A deep blue-violet and yellow color palette supported a distinct theme for the Washington Huskies, simplified to photos from the field, balloons, and a football-themed table.

Frowning with sudden displeasure, I reconsidered what Alice had discovered in Jessica's catalog.

If Conner loved the Washington Huskies, why on earth would Jessica have been looking at merchandise for the Seattle Redhawks? The schism was difficult to traverse in my head.

Could Jessica's markings have been for a future gift, as I previously thought? Maybe Conner liked both the Redhawks _and_ the Huskies, so Jessica bought a Huskies gift for his birthday and Redhawks for Christmas or some such.

It could even have been a case of misinformation. Jessica might have known that Conner liked a college team in Washington, but forgot which one or never knew in the first place. That seemed like her, I supposed.

I just hoped it was nothing more than that and forcibly pushed away any inkling to use my so-called gift and find out one way or the other. Edward was probably right about lowering myself to a different level out of desperation.

"You look pensive," Edward remarked in my ear, comparatively loud yet still hardly heard over the noise of the party.

Unlike my reticence with Austin the previous night, I would willingly have told Edward what troubled me, but Jessica, Lee, Austin, and Katie found us in that moment. Wondering at the absence of Angela, I searched the room for the tall girl.

Exchanging more distracted greetings with the four students around me, I happened to see Ben now had monopolized Angela's attention in a card game with some other teens, something I could have grinned over like a complete fool under better circumstances.

"Get out here with us!" Katie shouted above the music, drawing my attention immediately to her as she reached out to pull me from my seat by force. Not having taken self-defense for several months, Katie didn't have the means of actually moving me against my will, but she certainly gave it a good try tugging on my hands.

Giving up after a minute of our friends' laughter and my raised eyebrows, Katie rolled her eyes and huffed, "You can't just sit here all night!"

"I can do exactly as I choose," I informed the redhead stubbornly. Choice had become a disastrously huge issue for me since Alice's vision. Katie of all people wouldn't be the one to change that.

"Come on, Ray!" Jessica half whined, giving my hands a much friendlier pull. "Just come and dance until Mrs. Packham cuts the cake!"

Appeased by Jessica's milder request compared to Katie's unkind pressure, and also by the fact Jessica seemed fully recovered from the mint blouse incident, I sighed and shrugged. Offering Edward a look that begged apology, I felt infinitely reassured by the little laugh he released.

"Lee and Austin will drag me to talk about sports or comics," Edward soothed my mind sincerely. "Don't worry about me."

"All right," I caved reluctantly, letting Jessica pull me into the dancing students without an argument.

Dancing felt far below my capability to enjoy at the time, particularly with Mike Newton making a fool of himself in the middle of the floor, but when surrounded by a bunch of high school kids who cared little for the larger problems I would face, it became a sliver easier to leave my troubles frozen in the background for a brief spell.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Mrs. Packham came out to cut the cake. Conner reluctantly blew out a single '17' candle on the urging of a crowd fully prepared to goad him into the action he seemed so embarrassed of. Edward chortled in my ear at the teen boy's hesitance, leaning on my shoulder to cover his laughter from Conner's view.

Soon after, slices of cake passed hand to hand, yellow plates moving at great speed around the high school group while Conner moved on to opening gifts, another slightly embarrassing task he had to be goaded into. Daring to laugh to myself just a mite, I wondered what Conner expected to happen at a birthday party, but quickly decided seventeen was almost as tricky as twelve for a maturing boy.

Luckily for Conner, his parents and relatives gave all excellent presents without a hint of teenage shame to be had. Thankfully mine and Edward's choice of tickets to a Blink-182 concert added to Conner's joy. Jessica's gift also made Conner happy, although my instincts tingled as the Xbox game was revealed – not a hint of sports memorabilia at all.

One of the last presents to be opened was a good-sized box Conner lifted with ease. It was logical, then, that the size of the box hid a small, but significant gift.

What made this gift so unusual and exciting wasn't the actual gift itself, but the constant insinuation of a real car, via notes taped under every successive layer of wrapping. Every note further down indicated Conner was going to get a car as soon as he opened the medium-sized box, which he naturally assumed held a pair of car keys. Even the other kids at the party began to grow excited for Conner as he started to imagine the car keys in his hands.

Anyone who truly knew Conner Packham knew he had been hoping and angling for a car ever since he received his license the previous autumn. The boy had been saving since elementary school, accumulating money from chores and odd jobs around town; all the while Conner refrained from using his allowances and small income to buy fun, normal things any teenage boy would desire to have. To think he might very well get his heart's desire without having to spend a penny, almost a reward for his hard-won scraping and saving…

Infectious anticipation began to overtake me as well at the nice idea. It held sway in the deeper, more hopeful parts of me – right up to the moment I caught sight of Glen and Julia Packham's concerned faces. In a heartbeat, I placed my sights on Edward and spied his expression as it firmed and changed from confused expectation to incensed comprehension.

"Edw—" I tried to prompt the simmering vampire quietly, but he shook his head sharply from side to side.

Taken unawares, I turned back to Conner's unwrapping efforts and watched in surprise as he finally pulled a set of keys from the tissue paper in the box.

Thick, colorful, plastic keys, in fact. Not for a car, but for a children's toy.

The mess of noise which commanded the house for the past few hours dropped off to dead silence. Even the guys who ribbed Conner all night didn't say a word; there was too much hurt in Conner's face, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

No friend – no true friend, at any rate – would play so cruel a joke, I thought.

"It's not from a _friend_ ," Edward muttered venomously against my ear, cool breath contrarily singing my skin with his rebuke for the gift-giver.

Mike Newton's glee made itself obvious, regardless the growing discomfort and fear on his face as Conner turned from Edward's perfectly aimed glare to the spiky-haired offender.

It took Glen Packham's intervention, in the form of a direct order murmured in Conner's ear, to stop his humiliated son from attacking a once close friend.

In his jealous efforts to get back at Conner for dating Jessica, Mike had hit with a very low blow. None of the teens present at the party gave any support to the blond-haired boy, instead grumbling and scowling at him for such a nasty trick. Jessica looked as if she had been the object of the prank as much as Conner, giving Mike the heaviest expression of scorn I had seen on her face to-date.

Mr. Packham made a short, heated phone call in the next room and in short order, Mike Newton silently left in his light blue Oldsmobile with a stern word from both Glen and Julia that only Edward could hear.

No more doubts of renewed friendship plagued my mind; no more wondering if two old friends would stop being at odds, shake hands, and move on.

Conner would never trust Mike again.

* * *

 


	13. Chapter 12: Attempts

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Notes:** Back on the bandwagon! I have some free time right now, so I think La Push is coming soon for you all. Mike was a total jerk last chapter and I'm interested to see all the reactions to this chapter. Thanks for all your reads and reviews!

**Previously** – Jasper calmed Alaska tension. Alice warned Mir to tell of invite. Mir began painting Denali home, thought of Leah invite. Mir decided to never ignore Alice warnings. Edward worried of Mir, Mir chose to take Alice advice. Eleazar talked baseball, Edward began teaching Mir. Mir recalled embarrassing memory, Edward amused. Mir hoped for baseball in gym, Edward morbid of future. Mir slow to learn, Edward impatient, Cullens gathered, Mir told of Leah invite. Mir admitted gift said to attend Leah birthday. Cullens confused by Mir silence, Mir admitted fear. Mir thought gift said wolves would hold hostage, Edward assured just fear. Cullens assured safety, Mir chose not to go, Alice saw wolves would attack Cullens. Mir horrified, Cullens realized Mir only person to change wolves. Cullens to Forks  & debated La Push, Edward led Mir away, Mir slept. Mir decided must help Ang/Jess while still time. Mir schemed Jess, Alice helped/read Jess catalog, Mir confused by Seattle Redhawks. Edward accused Mir of debasing herself, Alice defended, Edward calmed. Mir angry, Rose stopped Mir & admitted regret. Mir realized not all can be forgiven. Jazz helped Mir w/supplies, Mir to church, teens worked crafts, Mir felt guilty of Edward. Mir to house, Edward/Mir apology, Mir didn't want to be angry. School dull, Mir tried to rest, Mir/Edward to Conner birthday. Mir confused by Jess catalog. Mike gave Conner cruel gift, Mir realized Conner would never trust Mike.

> **Chapter 12: Attempts**

Conner Packham's humiliating birthday present, given from the steadily sinking Mike Newton in a fit of jealousy over the affections of Jessica Stanley, made the rounds at school before first period even ended. Despite all the reassurances and condolences of his other friends, Conner looked glum and rigid every time I saw him and Jessica seemed incredibly downhearted as well.

While it would have appeared natural for a girlfriend to feel badly over her boyfriend's downhearted emotions, a part of me couldn't help but see more in Jessica than simple unhappiness. Guilt, more than plain low spirits, seemed to beleaguer my curly-haired friend. As much as I disliked thinking it, I couldn't put the thought out of my head. The reasons still escaped me, however, as did the purpose of Jessica's odd catalog obsession.

Ever since the day Alice helped me to find out the contents of the catalog, Jessica hadn't once taken it out again. Not only did I never see it, but Alice saw nothing in her visions either.

Time and experience should have taught me what an absence of action meant, but it took seeing action with my own two eyes to understand it. Thus the afternoon after Conner's birthday beheld a most enlightening event.

At Pastor Weber's church for another craft day, our group confidently ruled out a repeat performance from Mike and peaceably engaged in making more Christmas crafts for the hospital party design. Conner had improved slightly since the morning, but it still took the combined efforts of our group to make the newly minted seventeen-year-old smile.

Hard effort to that end on Jessica's part made me happy for her heartfelt actions, in spite of my doubts on her intentions, and when the black-haired girl headed to the bathroom a moment, I commented as much to Angela.

"Jess seems to be changing pace," I remarked quietly.

"She's definitely acting more like herself," Angela agreed, happy for the change as much as I was.

"Whew, Ang, can we turn the heat down in here?" Katie asked, wiping a misted sweat from her pale brow.

"Yeah, it's not _that_ cold out," Ben agreed, eyeing his glasses critically for moisture. I could disagree with their opinions; living amongst freezing cold vampires had changed my views on warmth and coldness substantially.

"Um, well, I can go ask Dad," Angela agree tentatively, biting her lip as she eyed the glue and glitter mixture on her hands with reluctance.

"Just keep working. I can ask him," I offered, more a statement than a question as I rose, leaving behind a much less messy craft than my tall friend. "He's still in his office, right?"

"Yeah, back down the main hall," Angela explained gratefully. "Thanks, Ray."

"You're welcome," I called as I walked out of the teen room and down the corridor towards the main hall.

Pastor Weber's office was not unknown to me, but I had only traveled the path between the teen room and the main hall on a brief visit to find Angela once before. That fact was the one reason I didn't feel too badly at getting mixed up and heading down another side corridor.

Coming upon the choir room, I knew I had gone too far and sighed softly at the surprisingly complicated hallways of the church.

I nearly headed back the way I came, when an unexpected sound caught my attention.

"You were a jerk!"

Stopped on a dime, I frowned at Jessica's familiar voice, clear to me even at such a low volume.

"I was just teasing!"

Mike Newton's whispering voice threw me out of orbit entirely. What was he doing here?

Frowning heavier than before, I slipped closer to the choir room on delicate footsteps.

Dan's training had left an excess of sneaking and scheming in my outlook that wouldn't go away, a measure of the protection I could now afford myself when I needed it. Marveling at the fact I was correct about fate leading me to the truth after all, I kept quieter than a church mouse while Jessica and Mike argued.

"Teasing?" Jessica repeated, scoffing disbelievingly. "You had Conner convinced he was really going to get a car after all his hard work. That's not teasing, it's just mean!"

"He should have known better," Mike retorted, and I could imagine the careless shrug he effected.

"Well, he didn't know!" Jessica snapped, pulling back on the volume in a blink when she realize how loud she had become. "And I was stupid enough to believe you two were friends again. He was hurt and it's your fault."

"Why can't you get over him?" Mike pressed, all but rolling his eyes in verbal language. "It's so stupid."

"Just go away, Mike!" Jessica hit back irritably, the soles of her shoes padding rapidly across the carpet.

Given mere seconds before my black-haired friend slipped out into the hall, I hurried into the half-open door of a prayer room nearby and watched with baited breath while Jessica stormed past my hiding place unknowingly.

Not five minutes later, Mike sauntered out of the choir room right under my watchful gaze, grumbling about Conner and Jessica just loud enough for my ears to catch the general trend of possessiveness.

Growing angrier than I believed possible, I straightened my spine and took bold steps out into the hall at last.

"What was that, Mike?"

Jumping a mile high, Newton whirled around to face me, wide-eyed and tense. Seeing only me, the blond-haired teen startled me by relaxing. I didn't particularly care for the sensation of discomfort it invoked in my chest. Was Mike Newton ever so feckless in the novels? It didn't seem that way upon retrospect, but then Bella had looked through a very narrow, sympathetic view of Mike.

"What are you spying for?" Mike demanded of me, curling my anger hotter.

"What are you invading for?" I drove back at him, flipping his question for another question.

Thrown off balance though he was, Mike recovered fairly quickly and shrugged lackadaisically. "I can be in a church if I want to."

"Not when it consists of badgering Jessica," I rebuked him sardonically, hands rolling into a set of claws more than fingers. "You should leave her alone."

"I'm going to keep talking to her if I want to," Mike half laughed at my remarks, tacking on rudely, "Just because you don't like me doesn't mean Jess has to do the same. Keep out of it."

Enraged by the flippancy and sheer selfishness of Mike Newton at his worst yet, I saw a sheen of red before my eyes and relied on every instinct to guide my actions away from anything violent. Frozen in my place by an inability to act lest I overreact, I watched keen and frustrated as Mike stepped away and headed out of sight down the hall.

How badly I had wanted to hit the arrogant teenager couldn't be adequately described, but I knew if I had done so, Mike would probably have told someone at some point. The Cullens didn't need any furor over my unexpected and unchained violence passed around at all, let alone so near to Bella's arrival.

Deep breaths were my only action for several minutes, until at last the anger steadied enough not to burst free. So many times I felt too old for my high school friends, and this time was no exception.

By the time I came back to the teen room, I found true calm within myself once more, Pastor Weber had been informed of our temperature troubles, and I returned to find my friends engrossed in their work – thoroughly ignorant of the encounter with Mike. Jessica even smiled, something I attributed to a far happier Conner initiating conversation. The joy between them lasted for the entire crafting experience and influenced every high-schooler on the way out.

Mentally I wondered just what awaited me inside the Cullen house when I walked through the front door. I had essentially threatened Mike Newton to stay away from Jessica or else. Carlisle didn't strike me as the type to appreciate that behavior, let alone Esme.

I couldn't even believe my own near attack on Mike – in a church, no less! Idiot or not, it wouldn't have been the right thing to do. Besides, Jessica had told the stupid boy to leave her alone. She had some sense in her head still, it seemed.

Inhaling deeply of the cold evening air, I stopped battening down the hatches and made myself walk up into the big white house.

Passing through the foyer with a wealth of hesitance, I came utterly surprised upon nothing and no one. No one waited for me with crossed arms or words ready to break through thinned lips. Noises from the kitchen let me know Esme clearly worked away on a project, but that was all.

Feeling as though a bucket of water might suddenly drop from a doorway onto my unsuspecting head, I tread carefully to the stairs in stringent quiet.

For two floors of distance I continued to wonder who would take the first bite – figuratively speaking, of course. Enduring lack of reaction should have eased my muscles with every sure step upward. Quite conversely, the totality of my body's nerve endings wound tighter with each breath.

If Edward was present anywhere in the house, he surely would have been choking on laughter by the time I stepped off the second landing.

"Sweetheart, are you all right?"

Carlisle's gentle, concerned voice brought on a jump and twist maneuver I imagined was only reserved for cartoon characters most days.

Indeed, Carlisle pressed his lips together and covered his mouth with one hand, admirable in his attempt to repress humor at my expense.

"Was that intentional?" I cried aloud, voice exponentially louder and higher than I ever intended it to rise.

"Not at all," Carlisle answered at a chuckle, guiltily walking out of his office doorway to pull me comfortably under his arm. "You just seemed very nervous and I wanted to make sure everything went well at the church."

Contending with a rapid heartbeat and quick breaths, I took a moment to cool my heels against Carlisle's side before answering rather untruthfully, "Everything went… fine, I guess. The house just felt very quiet. Too quiet."

"Hm, I supposed it can be," the doctor agreed understandingly, a kind smile overtaking his face. "Well, Emmett convinced Jasper to spar and Edward tagged along. Rosalie and Alice are in their rooms at the moment, I believe."

"I'm not," Alice piped up from behind us, the tiny woman dancing to stand on Carlisle's other side. She didn't bother waiting, but easily took Carlisle's arm over her shoulders.

Chucking again, the golden-haired vampire held us in his fatherly grip for long minutes. The unencumbered silence no longer bothered me, but retained our mutual comforts with each other.

My heart rate returned to normal as Carlisle finally released us both, sighing reluctantly, "I suppose I must finish my paperwork before long."

"It could only take five minutes, if that," Alice teased the doctor mischievously.

"You know how I am," Carlisle countered, warmly picking at his tiny daughter's argument as he slipped back into his office.

"Come on," Alice murmured to my human hearing, elfin features turning slightly less playful on the way up the last flight of stairs.

Dropping my things and changing into pajamas took seconds, prompted by the knowledge Alice had undoubtedly seen what I almost acted on back at the church.

"Of course I did," Alice spoke, light as a feather in her humor and yet her half-dark eyes told me precisely what she meant.

In my mind, I made the clear decision to ask if Edward knew or saw what might have been, but words never left my mouth. It was something only Edward had seemed to do in the books, trading visions of his responses for thoughts of Alice's replies. While I couldn't read Alice's mind, I could render my tell-tale questions unheard by Esme, Carlisle, or Rosalie.

Eyes glazing over, my small companion smiled fondly at the new avenue of communication.

"Yes, he does," Alice answered straightforwardly.

"Oh," was all I could think to say, the disappointment clearer than I hoped it would sound.

"Don't worry, it's all settled," Alice continued to speak in a kind of code, bearing out anyone who heard to think we talked of normal, happy things and not potential violent encounters with other high school students.

Truly, Alice's steady gaze conveyed it was all settled – for now. If Mike kept on pushing his luck and his boundaries with Jessica, I wasn't positive I could hold back again.

Again making a very obvious decision of speech yet holding my tongue, I offered a vain hope that things would stay settled for good. After all, I still hadn't determined what the Seattle Redhawks had to do with anything.

"Let's worry about that later," Alice brightly persuaded me through glazed sight, quickly thereafter tugging me on a path back to her closet space on the second floor and doing her level best to distract from thoughts of the situation with Mike, Conner, and Jessica.

Far and away asleep before Edward, Emmett, and Jasper ever came back from sparring, I had no opportunity to learn Edward's opinion of my almost-fight. Come the morning, Edward behaved the same as he always did, sitting pleasantly to watch my breakfast habits.

Had the mind-reader been able to get past my mental blockade, perhaps the story would be different.

"It wouldn't be," Alice said in an undertone as she passed me in the foyer and disappeared outside.

Looking up at Edward behind me, I scrutinized his sculpted features intently for any sign of malcontent. Edward's reaction was to smile wryly and shake his head, carefully nudging in the middle of my back. "Come on, off to school with us."

Satisfied only partially by the lack of displeasure Edward felt for my actions, I smiled slightly as well and allowed the lean vampire to guide me out the front doors.

Classes passed by in a blur, my constant worries of reprisal from Mike keeping me on tenterhooks yet proving false as the day came to its eventual end. Mike looked sour enough, of course, when I glimpsed him in the halls and at lunch, but the teen didn't bother looking my direction even once. The worst thing that happened during the day was Jessica verifying our weekend shopping excursion to replace her mint green blouse. Guiltily realizing it was my plan which ruined the shirt in the first place, I resignedly confirmed for Saturday morning.

School finally at an end meant a quick trip to the house to confer with Esme, and then up to the hospital for an event which made Edward laugh.

Carlisle was already with a patient when we arrived, leaving Edward and I sitting together in the doctor's office until he returned from the exam room some twenty minutes later.

"You really aren't upset?" I had to ask of the lean pianist during our wait, biting my lip expectantly.

"Of course not," Edward reassured, casting black eyes heavenward. "What do you take me for?"

"I just wanted to be sure," I confessed, but smiled acceptingly of his reply and settled back to wait out Carlisle.

Clear, crisp footsteps approached the door milliseconds before it opened under the hand of its current resident.

Smiling broadly, Carlisle shut the door behind himself and stepped over to his desk. "To what do I owe the pleasure of such excellent company?"

"You're ridiculously adorable when you don't know what's going on," I stated in amazement of the doctor, leaving Edward to laugh at his father's knowing sigh.

"Of course you couldn't have forgotten today," Carlisle exhaled resignedly, lightly tossing a clipboard on the mildly cluttered desk.

"I will never forget the second of December," I announced staunchly, giving no quarter in my firm gaze upon Carlisle's playfully narrowed eyes. "…and Esme said to stop fussing. So there."

Closing dark eyes for a brief time, Carlisle opened them upon a package held out in my hand. Edward couldn't stop smirking at the doctor, a chuckle ready in his throat once Carlisle actually took the white-wrapped package without any argument.

Quick removal of the crisp, shining paper revealed three historical books from Carlisle's vampire children and a handmade card each from Esme and me. Smiling affectionately over the heartfelt gifts and sentiments, Carlisle heaved another sigh, this one resonating of happiness.

"Come here, darling girl," Carlisle finally ordered, opening his arms to me.

Gladly accepting an embrace from the gentle vampire, I squeezed him tightly around the middle while uttering the simplest of phrases.

"Happy Birthday, Carlisle."

Celebrating such a normal event, even if celebrating it in relation to a nearly four-century old vampire, lifted a small part of my spirits and buoyed me throughout another craft day at the church with my human friends.

It wasn't until we left the teen room that evening and all headed to the parking lot that my spirits took a nose dive.

A light blue Oldsmobile waited in the lot, right beside Conner's black Saturn.

None of the teens knew quite what to do when Mike stood from his car.

I prayed God stop me from real violence this time. Trying to call Jessica or talk to her at school was one thing, but to arrive and wait publicly at a place Mike knew he was unwanted – a place where Conner and Jessica spent time together – moved beyond the pale. My temper wanted to boil over, but knowing the limitations I faced, I couldn't make myself speak up.

It took Pastor Weber joining us all outside to make heads or tails of the experience. Recalling that his office overlooked the front lot, I blew out a breath of relief for the man's remarkably quick action.

"What's the matter, kids?" Dale asked, but I couldn't tell if his confusion was playacted or not. Surely the parents all traded important details many times, especially after such a stunt as Mike pulled at Conner's birthday, but I couldn't be entirely sure.

"We… just got… distracted," Austin was the first to answer, haltingly spilling words that didn't make any sense in light of our true circumstances.

Having given some kind of reply, though, Austin clearly felt himself free to leave and hurried towards Ben's cranberry Dodge Neon. Ben didn't take long to follow, along with Lee who had also hitched a ride with him.

Eric made hesitant, sidestep motions towards the Yorkie family's dark green Ford Taurus, Katie leaning towards his plans yet unable to leave just yet.

Angela stood awkwardly by the exterior brick of the church entrance, eyeing Jessica, Mike, and Conner with varying degrees of sympathy and worry. Catching the tall girl's gaze from the corner of my eye, I shrugged as gently as possible to convey my own ignorance of what we should do. Mike and Conner were already sizing each other up and Jessica looked like she wanted to bury herself in the sand.

"Mike, aren't you supposed to be home?" Dale inquired very politely, solving the problem for us. "Phil and Karen mentioned you were helping with the new inventory."

"Oh, I am helping," Mike was quick to assure the pastor, clearing his throat nervously. "I haven't been able to help with the Christmas decorations anymore, but I knew Jess needed a ride home, so…"

Conner opened his mouth to speak, anger plain as day in his sharp eyes, but his fury was cut short.

"Eric already agreed to do that," Katie solidly intervened, eyeing Mike with much less humor than I had ever seen from the redhead.

Burning with indignation on behalf of my curly-haired friend and overwhelmed Conner, I thanked heaven for Katie's quick-witted choice. Much as we all knew Conner would like to give his pseudo-girlfriend a ride home as planned, he would in all likelihood have said something he would regret later. Possibly.

"Yeah, that was cool of you, Eric," Jessica swiftly thanked the geeky teen, jumping at the chance to escape the situation Mike had put her in. "I'll see you guys later."

Eric finally got his wish to leave, rushing to the driver's door and driving off with Katie and Jessica before Mike caused anymore trouble.

"I'm sorry you made a wasted trip, Mike," Pastor Weber informed the boy while the Dodge and Ford exited the parking lot, his sympathy overly sincere, if that were even possible. "You have a good night now."

"Uh, yeah, thanks," Mike grumbled mostly to himself and jumped back in the Oldsmobile with visible disgruntlement.

"Angie, come and help me move those plants in the sanctuary," Dale told his daughter kindly when Mike pulled away. "We'll go home after that, okay?"

Nodding anxiously, Angela agreed wordlessly to the instruction and hurried inside with only a quick goodbye for Conner and me.

"Good riddance," Conner muttered irritably, eyes riveted to the light blue car that disappeared down the tree-lined road. "To him _and_ his stupid sweatshirt."

"What about Mike's sweatshirt?" I asked, snapping out of my observations long enough to listen.

"The Newtons moved here from California a while back," Conner explained, a fact from the books I well remembered for its impact on Bella's dislike of the never-ending rain and gray skies in Forks. "Mike's big thing was always Berkley and mine was University of Washington. He loved the Golden Bears and I loved the Huskies. We used to think it was cool that both our teams had similar colors. He never liked the Redhawks until this thing about Jess. It's like he has to do everything against me now. Just because he can."

"Redhawks," I repeated dumbly, face a mask of blankness in the dark.

"Yeah, I guess I was the only one who noticed the logo on his sweatshirt," Conner sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "I'll see you on Monday."

"See you," I was able to mutter, hardly noticing when Conner left for home. My mind was too involved in puzzling out a deep issue between my human friends.

After seeing Conner and Jessica in their matching pirate outfits, Mike had been furious. Jessica, shocked by that anger, had then begun anxiously looking through an uncharacteristic sports catalog for Seattle Redhawks merchandise.

The very college team Mike now claimed to support.

Rampant thoughts battered my brain back and forth in a mental tennis match as I slipped dazedly inside the Acura and sat, keys still in my hand, while I tried to understand what had driven Jessica to look for Redhawks gifts to give to Mike Newton at the same time she dated Conner Packham anew.

Had Jessica purposefully worn a matching outfit with Conner after all, using the boy who cared about her as a pawn – all in one big effort to spite Mike's embarrassing gestures? Then, against my grave hopes, had Jessica reviewed her spite and felt guilty towards her eternal crush? Seeing Mike's far-reaching prank, however, seemed to have made Jessica reconsider.

But then maybe Jessica mistakenly thought the two boys reconciled their differences and became friends again, thus turning Mike's anger after the pirate fiasco into a seeming reaction to betrayal. Jessica, feeling guilty at bringing a new fight between the boys, wanted to buy a peace offering. If I were feeling really optimistic, I could even dare to imagine Jessica sending a Redhawks gift from Conner to Mike as a peace offering.

Maybe she didn't want to be with Mike, but simply tried to bring two friends back together again…

I pleaded with fate to say yes, even as I logically realized it was not a very likely scenario, no matter how much Jessica had changed in the last year.

It was all too much to consider after such an emotionally draining evening. Fed up with teenage angst and its many ramifications, I wrenched keys in the ignition and started the car.

Unlike the last time I came back from a strange, unwelcome experience regarding Mike, Conner, and Jessica, the Cullens filled the house with activity. Esme, Rosalie, and even Emmett worked surprisingly noisily on more plans for Emmett and Rosalie's future house. Meanwhile, Alice and Jasper involved themselves in a video game, startling the daylights out of me when I realized what was happening.

"I do play once in a while, Mir," Alice ribbed without looking away from the screen. I couldn't tell who was winning the strategy, but it appeared to be a notably even-keel game between the married vampires.

"If you say so," I remarked, eyebrows risen high on my forehead.

Grateful for a cacophony of sounds to cover my lack of active speech and involvement, I made my way up to the third floor and picked out pajamas with little interest.

"Welcome back," Edward murmured wryly from the computer once I came back in my sleepwear, the lean vampire typing up something for his English class at a surprisingly human speed. Granted, technology didn't keep up very well with natural vampire typing speeds, so perhaps he had no choice in the matter. Jasper had, of course, typed impossibly fast when he first created class records for my new identity, but it had been short, quick words here and there, not a multiple-page essay all at once.

"You wouldn't believe how many times it froze on me today," Edward admitted, smirking.

Effecting half a smile at his attempted humor, I took a heavy seat on the other desk chair.

"You figured it out," Edward gathered with impossible speed. "You're blocking is excellent right now, but I can see the worries in your eyes."

"I keep saying fate will show me what I need to know," I found my voice weakly, "but it's so tiring seeing these things keep happening."

"What have you found out?" Edward prompted, all business.

"Jessica was going to buy Redhawks gear for Mike," I blurted cleanly. "I just don't know if it was from her, or if she was buying a supposed peace offering from Conner."

"It wasn't meant to be from Conner," Edward told me instantly, waving away the protests on my lips. "I don't care about revealing this. Truly… Jessica planned it for a Christmas gift."

"So she's still stuck on that pigheaded idiot," I assumed with a dark sigh.

"Unfortunately, yes," Edward confirmed doubtlessly. "Conner just doesn't interest her in that way. He was a fun friend and he's a much better young man than Mike has been, but that's all."

"Looks like I'm misjudging everything and everyone now," I groused wearily under my breath.

Was it any wonder I feared going to La Push again? If I had so badly misjudged Jessica's intentions with Conner and Mike, then surely I would make graver misjudgments of the wolves and what they intended. I would never make them see sense at that rate.

"You will change the wolves' minds," Edward insisted powerfully, topaz eyes gleaming with righteous faith I had no right to be party to.

How he had guessed the turn of my thoughts without even hearing them, I didn't dare hypothesize.

"How can you _possibly_ believe that?" I breathed the words, buried under miles of abject terror and hopelessness over my seeming fate as I stared into Edward's topaz eyes, struck with such understanding that it stunned me.

"Once, I would have thought Jessica a foolish child," Edward slowly confessed, lifting an eyebrow in cynical self-deprecation before glancing away in thought. "And perhaps she still is, in many ways…."

Turning back to face me with sardonic yet sparkling eyes, Edward added, "Because of you… I don't see Jessica that way anymore. I see a human being with feelings – someone who couldn't help the way her heart turned. You've truly changed me, Mireille. I never would have believed it, but you changed me so immensely I can hardly describe the depth of it in words."

Closing my eyes against the emotions rising in my throat and filling my heart, I forced back tears, reaching blindly for Edward's chilled hand. The seventeen-year-old grasped my searching fingers in the firmest grip he dared.

"If you could do that," Edward pressed on, gentled and yet strengthened in his amazement, "if you could make me see hope where I saw only darkness, then you can change them. You have the ability, the strength, the perseverance – the impossible stubbornness – to make the Quileutes see the truth. Yes, even Sam and Paul. It's in you, Mireille. I don't just believe it. I _know_ it."

Finding a laugh bubbling in my throat at Edward's insistence upon my stubborn nature, I wondered how much it would hurt to not have his words in my ear anymore.

"Stop it!" Edward cut me back harshly, but in his eyes I saw far more pain than anger. "We are not going to lose you! They will rue the day they try to steal you away from us. Do you understand?"

"You can't do anything stupid!" I exclaimed, disbelief buoying my gaze. "Promise me, Edward, that you won't cross that treaty line."

Edward opened his mouth, the obvious fierceness of his impending reply causing me to cut in as sharply as he had done for me.

"No! Promise me!"

Taken aback and yet somehow not surprised at all, Edward ground his teeth audibly at the demand.

"If you don't promise, I won't go," I commanded him more strongly than I knew myself capable of, truth in every word I spoke.

"If you don't go, the wolves—" Edward tried to say.

"—will do exactly the same thing you want to fight," I finished the sentence for him firmly. "Either they fight all of you, a full family, on your home turf – or they attack _you_ as a hot-headed single vampire in enemy territory. As much as I hate either option, I will gladly ensure you don't get caught on your own, fighting three wolves at once. Mind-reader or no, experienced fighter or no, you are still outnumbered and on your own. One or more of the others could change as result of the situation and you'd be even further outnumbered! I refuse to let anything happen to you because of me. Now promise!"

Between two hard choices, Edward knew he stood at a disadvantage. Either he could consign his entire family to a tough fight that might permanently damage the future, or he could allow me to be kept captive on the reservation. Despicable though the idea felt, at least no one on the reservation would harm me. Just as long as I stayed with one of the families and away from the wolves – and I suspected Sue Clearwater or even Billy Black would be amenable to such an idea – I would be all right until Bella and the Cullens could work at peace and enable my release from the tribe.

Perhaps I could even find a way to escape before that time, if I was lucky.

"Oh dear God, please don't think such things," Edward pleaded desperately, squeezing my hands tightly in his own. Somehow it didn't surprise me that I had let my mental blocking go away.

"I have to," I countered with a store of calm only one of the Cullens' deep upset could have produced in me. "Will you promise me?"

"Yes," Edward groaned horribly, wrenching his hand from mine with aching helplessness. "I promise you."

I wanted so terribly to reach back out, to take Edward's thin hands with reassurance that my fears would never come true, but I knew better.

Instead, I rose slowly to the sinking feeling in my chest and headed to the closet to hang up my coat and purse, and lay sleepless in bed to a room now devoid of Beethoven's melancholic melody.

Silence greeted my waking in the morning, a clear sign of Edward's ongoing emotional state following the promise he made. Having no desire to see him in the flesh under such conditions, particularly one week before Leah's birthday, I readied myself for the day as rapidly as possible and rushed into a casual, masculine outfit of black, gray, and denim that Alice would never have permitted me to wear on a normal basis.

Unhappily committed to take Jessica shopping for a replacement of her mint green blouse, as promised, I told myself at least I didn't have to look into Edward's eyes and know how torn he truly was over his own promise. And if I held Edward to his vow, I certainly could do no less with my own contracted obligation.

As I pulled in the driveway of the Stanley home, Jessica almost immediately exited the front door, emitting a down expression full of the length and breadth of all teenage angst.

Drawing in a long, deep breath to prepared myself, I tried not to think of Jessica's dilemma with Mike and Conner lest it drive me to be angry with my dark-haired friend for her somewhat unintentional game of tug-o-war. On limited time, or so it felt to me, I wanted no more to be angry with Jessica than I wanted to be angry with Edward. Nothing of Jessica's problems had any relation to the wolves and it would not do to pull her under my ill cloud of emotions on top of her already grievous teen conflicts.

"Hi, Ray," the curly-haired girl greeted quietly, shutting the door on a chilly October breeze.

"Hello, Jess," I returned the sentiment in equal quietude and backed out of the drive to start our day.

Several attempts at conversation made tracks throughout our drive to Seattle, but nothing could hold our mutual interest long enough to sustain discussion more than a couple of minutes. Jessica exerted most of her energy on staring glumly out of the passenger-side window as dark green and gray and brown flew by in a pre-winter blur.

The store of Jessica's choice nestled into the corner of a small U-shaped mall, bustling with busy people all working on their Christmas shopping. Paper and plastic bags hung from arms and wrists and hands like ornaments for the house and so many people simply laughed and talked with each other, old friends and family members running into each other unexpectedly in the hustle of the season.

Life sounded so nice that way… a normal place full of good surprises and simple encounters, warm homes and helpful hands the foundation of each day.

That wasn't really life, though, was it? And I could very well not see my beloved friends opening the gifts I bought for them this Christmas.

Frowning as Jessica and I walked forward to the store's entrance, I shoved the terrible notion to the back of my mind and instead helped Jessica search the store for the same blouse she had worn on Monday.

"It doesn't seem to be here anymore, Jess," I sighed to the shorter girl as we met back up.

"I know," the dark-haired girl agreed, frowning heavily yet not at the loss of her blouse. Picking absently at the tips of her fingernails, Jessica eventually shrugged. "Just forget about it."

"Buy something else you like," I insisted generously. "It's the least we can do."

"It was just an accident," Jess shrugged again, listless. "Nobody will care if I wear it anyway."

"What about Conner?" I ventured softly.

No one could fix Jessica's problems for her, but maybe I could help her sort out something in her head.

"We just… well, it's stupid, actually… I…" Jessica tried more than once to explain her situation, but never found the words.

Given a stretch of nothing, I gave up on pretense and simply inquired, "Are you two over?"

Snapping her dark head up to look at me in shock, Jessica opened her mouth to debate the point, but fell silent. In a blink, the outgoing girl's posture sunk inward and she exhaled a loud breath of air.

"Yeah, we're over," Jessica validated my suspicions, back to picking at her fingertips. "He came by the house earlier and he already knew it was done. He was really nice about it… Conner's always a really nice guy. He's funny and easy to talk to… but he's like that with everybody. He's kind of cute, too, but I've tried and I just don't like him like that."

"I'm sorry," I voiced genuinely. Conner and Jessica had seemed fairly cute together. As for Mike… it was almost impossible to imagine him being good for Jessica, especially after how he had behaved since Homecoming. Yet that was who Jessica's heart seemed stubbornly set on caring for.

"I guess I am, too," Jessica murmured under her breath, brows drawn into a frowning mess of confusion.

"It's Mike, isn't it?" I prompted once more. I may as well get it all out there, I thought, before I no longer had the opportunity.

One week wasn't that long, after all.

Peeking up from a desolate expression, Jessica nodded slowly.

"I don't understand it, Jess. I really don't," I confessed blatantly, causing the girl to droop her head in embarrassment. "Just promise you won't do anything stupid. Please?"

"I promise," Jessica established firmly, although her blue gaze spoke to a confusion I highly doubted I could help with any further.

"Let's get you a blouse and get home," I suggested after a minute, sighing my own troubles helplessly into the ether and pulling Jessica back through the store. On a whim, I tried my hand at storytelling in the hopes of boosting Jessica's spirits. "Somebody will notice you some day, Jess. It won't be because you wore a great blouse. It'll just be because he likes you for you. And when that day comes, you can call me up and tell me how right I was and all about this cute, funny, amazing guy who loves you in everything you wear. How's _that_ for a future?"

Giggles overtook Jessica in spite of herself and I breathed in relief for a return to something resembling joy in my curly-haired friend as we went on, arm-in-arm, searching the store for something new and special Jessica could enjoy all on her own – whether a brainless, jealous boy liked it or not.

* * *


	14. Chapter 13: Audience

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Notes:** If you haven't seen any of the _Twilight_ films yet, shame on you! :P Haha, but I want to warn you of spoilers for the movie series anyway. After Carlisle's seeming death in BD Part 2, I had to convey the shock and horror I felt when it appeared he had been killed, but was later proven to be quite alive. That part, along with the deaths of Jasper, Seth, and Leah, was absolutely heartbreaking. I legitimately cried until I found out it was just a vision of what could have been. Writing some parts of this chapter made me cry, too. Funny how emotions strike us differently at different times, isn't it? Fair warning, this chapter can be downright confusing later on, plus it's quite... weird, I guess is the best word. Anyway, thank you to everyone who read and reviewed!

**Previously** – Mir recalled Mike prank, Mir worried of Jess. Teens worked crafts, Mike not invited, Mir/Ang noticed Jess improved. Mir heard Mike/Jess argue of Conner. Mir/Mike argued of Jess, Mir withheld anger, Mike left church. Mir expected Cullens to confront, but no reaction. Carlisle startled Mir, Alice/Mir shrouded talk of anger. Mir worried of Edward opinion on anger. Mir/Edward visited Carlisle at work, Edward assured Mir not bothered by her anger. Mir gave Carlisle package for birthday, Carlisle fussed, Mir said Esme against fussing. Carlisle appreciated books/cards  & hugged Mir. Teens worked crafts, Mike caused trouble, Pastor Weber intervened. Katie offered ride to Jess, Mike left, Conner mentioned Mike wore Redhawks shirt. Mir realized Jess/Mike connection, Edward confirmed. Mir worried of wolves, Edward reassured. Mir doubted & Edward said how much she changed him. Mir made Edward promise not to cross treaty line. Moonlight Sonata not played, Mir didn't sleep. Mir/Jess shopped. Jess couldn't find same blouse & said no one would care anyway. Mir got Jess to admit break up with Conner & feelings for Mike. Mir made Jess promise nothing stupid. Jess felt down & Mir said one day the right guy would come.

> **Chapter 13: Audience**

Upon driving back to the Cullen's house after silly shopping and heart-to-heart talks with Jessica, there remained a tiny spirit of hope in my drying veins. A tiny piece of lasting faith refused to leave me alone, no matter how far my convictions sank into the dirt.

Bolstered enough to face the day, I took more obvious notice of my surroundings, as Dan Griffin and simple experience had long ago taught me to do. Again the Cullen home sat silent and empty, this time devoid of everything except my own breaths and heartbeats in the dimly-shone interior of the white house under such dull skies of gray.

Eyeing the uninhabited space for several moments put me in a mind to lock all the doors and windows, barricade the back wall, and hide away in the attic until someone came home.

Shivering at the very idea of such fearful tendencies, I physically shook myself out of the wretched thoughts and hurried upstairs to my room to sort out the few purchases Jessica pressed me to make with unerring persuasiveness.

The Quileutes had made me into a nervous wreck, untrusting of my instincts and my own special ability. Frustrated by the change, I acknowledged this truth with a heavy heart and accepted it was most likely inevitable. Perhaps this was supposed to give me a sense of balance with my gift.

Standing in the depths of my closet with a mind buried in doubts and hard perceptions, I almost missed the muffled thumps of several objects falling into the wad of expensive clothes and accessories Alice had been stuffing into my closet over the year I had lived with the Cullens.

As it was, the weight of the objects in question caught my attention and drew perplexed blue eyes to the lower shelves in the corner.

Moving down the stepladder cautiously, I stooped to a crouch staring at several dark items hidden amongst a drawer of socks and nylons. Against all wisdom and reason, I suddenly reached into the drawer and pulled back a startling piece of property.

Of all the things in the world I could have found, a _Twilight_ DVD was not at all what I expected.

Books were one thing to turn up, but a film?

Bowled over by the strange appearance of the DVD, I wondered when exactly it had showed up in the house. It hadn't been there when the rest of my possessions showed up – that much I knew with great clarity.

Digging further into the drawer boasted four more gift-wrapped DVDs, completing the entire _Twilight_ series in film format. It couldn't hurt, I supposed, to watch the films. We had already read the books and the official guide. Perhaps the films would offer a unique plot perspective the books didn't. One never knew, after all.

Secretly quite excited to see the franchise from beginning to end, despite all the time I had spent with the real Cullen family, Quileutes, and residents of Forks, I decided to tell the Cullens instantly when they returned home. I nearly turned away and thought the matter at an end, when one last dark splotch showed in my peripheral vision.

Fallen between a pair of tall boots, another thick item made itself known. Mindlessly reaching for the last piece, my hand came away holding a package wrapped in the same gift paper as my uncle used. Feeling odd, I nonetheless unthinkingly opened the package to reveal a hardcover title with deep, dark tree trunks colliding tightly across a thick forest in a familiar pattern. Frowning as to why the image should be so familiar, I shook off the thought.

Entitled _Wilderness_ in sad, romantic script and written by an author named S.K. Jackson, the book impressed me as incredibly depressing and hopeless even without opening the cover.

Shudders overtook my body as I once again observed the familiar dark trees on the cover of the book, yet still I couldn't recall why they seemed so recognizable to my eyes.

Whatever the kind of story portrayed in the novel, I knew instinctively I wanted nothing to do with it. At the same time, I felt drawn in a way that defied all logic – drawn to read the depressing piece of work in its entirety.

Shaken by the closing of a door in the house, I jumped and sent the book quite unintentionally into the depths of my tote bag from our Christmas craft nights. Pausing mere seconds to eye the novel apprehensively, I indecisively left it within the folds of craft fabric still stored in the tote for future projects. Glad as ever that I continued to block Edward from my head, I prayed Alice hadn't seen the strange new book in her visions.

Diverting my mind from the novel and focusing only on the _Twilight_ film series, I finished hanging up the last of my new clothing and headed into the hall with five DVDs in hand.

"Hello, Mir," Esme's warm voice called to me from the other end of the hallway.

Spinning in surprise, I smiled at the motherly vampire, who stood brushing specks of lint from her outfit.

"I'm sorry I didn't greet you earlier," Esme added apologetically, coming over to hug me. "I was out gardening and I looked quite a state when you came in. It took almost half an hour of gentle scrubbing to save my coat from ruin."

"I can only imagine Alice's horror," I was able to tease vaguely, but Esme saw right through me.

"You must be so anxious, honey," Esme bemoaned suddenly, pulling me back into her loving grasp for much longer. Warmth and understanding suffused the lovely vampire and I buried my face in her chilled shoulder to soak up the much-needed sensations. "I know it's frightening to think about La Push. You know we're here for you, don't you?"

"I know," I was able to garble through the tears clambering to clog my throat of a sudden, squeezing the sweet woman around the waist.

"Edward looked so distraught last night," Esme went on softly. "It's difficult for him to let you go alone into a possible hostage situation with the wolves. Ever since the night of your first attack, he's put it upon himself to protect you at all costs."

"His friendship is so important to me," I spoke tightly, quietly. "I never meant to hurt him and I don't want him to feel trapped as I do, but…"

"I understand why you made him promise," Esme soothed my fragile pride, combing through my hair with her fingers. "Thank you for protecting him from his own recklessness."

Eased by the comfort of a mother, I pushed back against the insecurities and fears enough to function. Pulling back from Esme's hug took a lot of strength, but I finally did it.

"There's something all of you need to see," I announced a little less weakly.

"Oh?" Esme prompted, brows furrowed in concern.

"I always wanted to know how the films would turn out," I admitted a bit mischievously against my better judgment, holding up the five DVDs like a hand of cards.

Esme's laughter carried me through the rest of afternoon, along with a delicious cup of hot chocolate, until the rest of the family all wandered in.

The last to arrive after his shift at the hospital, Carlisle came upon a house already atwitter with the movies I had found.

"What has all of you so excited?" Carlisle asked amazedly. Considering our grim outlook since everyone learned of Leah's invitation, it was no small wonder the doctor felt shock.

"Mir made a fascinating discovery," Esme answered for all concerned, smiling pleasantly at me.

"What was that?" Carlisle wondered, intrigued by the mysterious event as he glanced my direction.

"These films," Jasper answered, tone distracted as he observed the cover of _Eclipse_ in one hand and gestured at the other four DVDs spread out in the hands of the family.

"Based on the books, hm?" Carlisle wagered, accepting the first movie from Edward. From the edge of his vision, Carlisle took keen notice of his first son's emotional climate, reaching with a discreet hand to squeeze the younger vampire's shoulder.

Tossing a brief look over his shoulder, Edward smiled at his father; a blip of muscle movement proved no more joy than a true frown would have done. The burning dishevelment of Edward's coal black gaze struck deep in my chest, full of the distraught pain Esme had described to me and the knowledge of helplessness against what I asked of him.

"Should we watch them?" Emmett gleefully questioned, disconnecting my study of Edward and all the guilt that came with it.

"As long as no one tries to visit…" Rosalie stipulated uneasily, no doubt thinking of the Denalis most specifically.

"No one will visit," Alice ended her sister's concerns with a glimpse into the near future. "Not a single person – human, wolf, or vampire."

"I say we're free and clear, then," Jasper concluded with finality.

"That was a quick settlement, I must say," Carlisle chuckled uneasily, casting one last glance to Edward before returning attention to the matter at hand. "Very well. We have plenty of time this weekend. I'm bound to ask, however… How did you find them, Mireille? It seems quite odd they never showed in the house before."

"That's what bothers me, actually," I confessed, brows taking a nose dive. "I was putting away clothes in my closet and something suddenly fell from the top shelves. I looked down and found the DVDs in my sock drawer. I think they must have appeared much later than the other things, although why they're showing up now doesn't make much sense."

"Alice, did you see it happen like the other times?" Rosalie wondered of her sister, looking distinctly unsettled. "What if someone put them here on purpose?"

"Sorry to say I didn't see it," Alice sighed frustratedly. "But if a person had done it, leaving the films in such a specific place would require a deliberate decision. There's no way to deliberately place something like that – especially in a matter this significant – and avoid a vision."

"Are you sure a decision would _have_ to be made?" Rosalie pressed.

"Consider it for a minute," Jasper spoke up, mind engrossed in strategy already. "Do we really believe a person somehow managed to end up on this property, in this house, in a specific room, stepped into a closet, put the films on a shelf, and then left… all without making a single decision?"

"It's highly improbable," Rosalie agreed, hesitating nonetheless over the fear of some stranger invading the house with deliberate intent.

"We would have smelled a strange scent around here at some point," Emmett added thoughtfully. "I mean, how often is this house completely empty?"

Esme shook her head as answer. "Never."

"Our visits to Denali," Rosalie pointed out.

"We were only gone a few days this time," Carlisle negated the worry. "An intruder's scent could never dissipate so swiftly. Even a full week gone, such as our trip in April, would not have fully eliminated a scent from our notice."

"Anyway, I worked in Mir's closet after this last trip," Alice recalled. "Remember I bought some things for her in Denali? I could never have missed an intruder's scent in such tight quarters."

"That's all true," Rosalie agreed, easing up a little more.

"Did anything else show up, Mireille?" asked Esme.

Starting from my own well of thoughts regarding possible intruders, I took a moment to think on the question presented. Keeping my features perfectly, carefully neutral, I took extra care to block Edward from seeing memories of the strange book and shook my head. "There was nothing else."

Two pairs of deep black orbs swept up the length of my face, attempting to penetrate the words I didn't say and seeking a reason for unasked questions I hoped I wouldn't have to reply to. On one side, Rosalie eyed the side of my face contemplatively with her razor-edged gaze, aware of more than what I spoke yet unable to pinpoint what. On the other side, Edward stared unblinkingly into my eyes, knowing better than anyone that an indefinable something plagued my mind and kept me from full truth.

Of the others in their new debate over watching the films versus simply sticking with what information the books provided, only Jasper suspected a level beyond common truth in my response. Yet I felt nothing more powerful than self-restraint; Jasper could hardly take anything from that, seeing as I exercised restraint for many different reasons and at many different times, excessively so since the Quileutes became involved in our lives.

And so my secrecy went unnoticed but for two suspicious and silent specters whom I knew wouldn't stay silent forever.

"So we'll watch the first two tonight and the rest tomorrow," Emmett verified for all. "Mir, have you seen the first one?"

"No, I haven't," I shook my head side to side. "At the time I disappeared from the other world, the first one wouldn't have been in theaters for another week."

"Then we'll take our time on the films," Alice piped up, smiling.

"What do you mean?" I queried in confusion to the mutual smiles of fond understanding passed around the others' faces.

"We all know you're still a fan in some ways, sweetie," Esme half laughed at me. "Remember what you told me upstairs? This part of you is still there and I think we can indulge a little longer."

"Once you've watched these films," Edward tacked on to his mother's statement, "I think you'll find a small form of closure to the part of you that still swoons over our once-fictional depiction."

Hardly able to argue with the well-made points, I flushed a tinge of pink, something I hadn't done in ages.

Laughter filled the Cullens, good humor overcoming everyone in spite of the highly probable impending drama with the wolves and I felt much less inclined to prideful disdain for their humor.

As usually seemed to be the case, Emmett took charge of movie time with immense aplomb while Esme helped me make dinner and – thanks to the hardy enthusiasm of Alice – a large bowl of popcorn no one would actually eat. I also took time to look over every cover for the films, reading cast names and plot blurbs to hopefully see just how large the movie intended to divert from its matching book.

By the time the film was about to begin, Alice and Edward had moved to monopolize either side of me with a blanket in-between each of us, although thankfully Alice was so tiny and Edward so thin that the three of us easily fit on the sofa together.

The first comment from the Cullens aired before Kristen Stewart's prologue speech even ended, and I wasn't all that shocked to find Edward's disbelief had started it all.

"There's no reason on earth we would let that deer run on so long," the lean vampire complained, apparently unable to help himself.

Feeling a strong nostalgia of our time watching _Underworld_ in California, I smiled a little at the fond, distant memory.

"It's meant to focus on our dietary preferences," Esme pointed out, smiling fondly at her very literal son.

"Besides, it's just an atmospheric visual," Alice debated also, smacking Edward's shoulder to shut him up without ever even grazing me.

Giggling powerlessly when Edward scoffed under his breath, I knew already Edward was going to have a hard time watching the film and an even worse time arguing literal filming against insightful imagery with the four females in the room.

A few minutes later, Alice made the second comment as fictional Bella hopped in the car with Phil and Renee.

"You know, this actress fits the book description of Bella rather well," the pixielike vampire decided.

"She does, doesn't she?" I muttered, letting the topic die away as the credits began rolling and arid Arizona transformed into the fog-covered Olympic peninsula.

Chuckles could be heard throughout the entirety of Bella's reintroduction to Charlie, Forks, the Blacks, and other residents, as well as the first day at the high school.

"Lauren is conspicuous in her absence, as is Ben," Jasper considered of the familiar yet unfamiliar 'characters' from school. "Did they combine some of the students into a single character, I wonder?"

"I think so," Alice shrugged, thinking more deeply on the matter for a moment. "Jessica seems like a mix of her and Lauren. And I feel like Ben has been amalgamated with Eric Yorkie."

"Good judge," Edward agreed. "They do seem to fit into one character here."

Immediately on the tails of our discussion, the music changed and Bella sat up to take notice of something new.

"Oh, here we go," I mumbled, a grin spreading across my face as the 'Cullens' entered the screen at last.

Rosalie remained completely unimpressed by Nikki Reed and Kellan Lutz, on whose forms she had momentarily paused the film.

"He's not nearly bulky enough for Emmett," the blonde complained. "And why earth is his hair so short? Surely a curl wouldn't have been so hard to manage. As for her… well, the only thing I appreciate is her portrayal of self-assurance."

I hadn't really expected much more from Rosalie. After all, no one could top her own beauty.

"What. in. the. world. is. my. actress. wearing?"

Alice's vexation, express through tightly gritted teeth and a heavy glare, had no match in the entire universe, for Ashley Greene's version of Alice Cullen wore the oddest clothing. It didn't strike me as stylish so much as a fleeting fad of someone trying to be unusual.

"She looks like a preppie hippie selling beads out of a caravan!" Alice fumed louder, arms crossed over her chest. So engrossed was Alice in her anger that she seemed not to notice the heavily muffled laughter all around her. Even Carlisle couldn't restrain himself.

"She's exceptionally tall, as well," Edward slyly remarked, eyes slipping sideways to gaze at his surrogate twin sister.

"Unlike the actor playing Jasper!" Alice snapped, annoyed more than actually angry as she gestured sharply towards the screen she had now paused the same as Rosalie before her. "Honestly, how does that measure up to what we read in the books? He's described as tall and leonine, not short and stocky."

"The man is hardly _stocky_ , Alice," Jasper himself stepped in on Jackson Rathbone's behalf, heartily amused by his tiny wife. "In fact, he appears to have a decently lean musculature, as I do."

"His face has a firm structure, too," I playfully tossed into the abyss of teasing.

"Shut up," Alice threw back at us both, bringing more laughter and a continuation of the film.

When Robert Pattinson stepped onscreen, moving though the doorway of the cafeteria to a sudden, attractive stretch of music, I turned knowingly to observe the reaction of my lean companion.

One look and I couldn't help bursting with laughter at Edward's thoroughly disgusted features.

"Pathetic," the bronze-haired vampire grunted simply.

"He's perfectly adorable in this scene," I teased, although I meant every word.

Rolling eyes to heaven and back, Edward tossed a pillow lightly at my face. Catching the soft projectile with ease, I just smiled and turned back to the film.

Biology and its associated drama caught everyone's breath with its accuracy, Edward's struggle surprisingly well-conveyed by the actor portraying him. Greater still, the later van incident caught everyone's attention, giving a more powerful visual identity to the circumstance.

Trust a movie to break up the seriousness of the moment with a fantastic feat of magnificence. If I had laughed at Edward's character entrance in the film, it was nothing to the raucous noise that left me – and the entire family – when Peter Facinelli swaggered into the emergency ward with an attractive grin. None of it matched what I knew of Carlisle, of course, but that was precisely why it made us all laugh so impossibly loudly.

And the man _was_ quite attractive, I had to admit.

"Oh my God, Carlisle," Esme shook against her husband's side, and I swore if she were human she would have been crying tears of humor. "If you _ever_ walk like that, I might have to slap you silly."

"If I ever became such a farce, I would welcome your sensibility," Carlisle laughed also, holding Esme comfortably within his arms.

Bella's dream of Edward brought another laugh, this time rather more embarrassed in nature, but nonetheless real.

"Uproot a tree, hm?" Edward remarked in my ear a little while later, sharp amusement glittering through his voice as the film showed precisely that scene. "Are you sure you haven't watched this one already?"

"It was in a trailer," I confessed, tamping down a slight grin as Edward laughed in full.

Most of the film progressed from that point with a remarkable amount of humor, but especially Charlie's reaction to learning Bella had a boyfriend and the Cullens first meeting with Bella at the house.

"Esme hasn't been done too terribly," Rosalie commented moderately of Elizabeth Reaser upon first seeing the woman onscreen. "She doesn't seem as gentle as Esme, but she has the look of an ingénue."

Esme tried not to smile too widely, but amusement displayed itself prominently on her face.

After the baseball intrusion, amusement dropped off immediately, but after reading the much fuller exploration of Bella's feelings in the books, the film just didn't strike as deep in the heart. Alice's background revelation also came off much better in the books.

As nice as Taylor Lautner seemed to try and make Jacob, his expression always gave me the strangest feeling he was hiding something, a sensation I couldn't associate with the Jacob Black I knew, who wore every feeling on his sleeve.

"That was weird," Emmett said of Victoria's presence at the prom, features scrunched.

"Probably another visual anomaly," Edward uttered, not bothering about being sincerely unheard.

Emmett wasted no time putting in the second film, and the beginning certainly grabbed a person by the horns, so to speak – both the race to Volterra and Bella's uncomfortable dream of becoming old like her grandmother.

"This one's going to hurt a little," I stated without fanfare, thinking of Jasper, the paper cut, and wolf prejudice shown in live action.

"Most of it," Edward sighed, probably thinking of his leaving and near-suicide.

"The hair is terrible," Alice sighed over hers and Jasper's cuts. "And I can't even find words for the fashion anymore."

Jasper chuckled at his mate again, drawing an answering scowl from the tiny woman.

Contrary to his bout of humor, Jasper growled vividly at his own scene when the party went so wrong, but Alice returned to his side in a heartbeat to ease some of the guilt and pressure with understanding.

"Oh, Edward," Esme whispered sadly of the painful forest breakup, Edward's obvious pain where Bella couldn't see him, and Bella's blind following. "I'm so glad we know better now."

Edward found no words for the situation in which he might have put Bella under his previous misconceptions, but darkness entered a pair of eyes already black as night.

Emptiness compounded by a horribly sad and fitting song, Bella's listlessness and nightmares buried any hope of humor in the captive audience we all made. Worst of all were the emails to Alice, a new texture added into the film interpretation that didn't deter from the story, but rather enhanced it for a change. I found tears rolling over the brim of my eyes as the scenes progressed painfully and I imagined the real Bella Swan, Charlie's baby girl, hurting so awfully.

At the sight of my tears, Edward's expression became absolutely appalled, darkness swirling away to expose paramount worry.

"Sorry," I breathed through a half laugh at my ridiculousness, sniffling and swiping away the tears.

Unconcerned with anything else for several moments, Edward pulled me under one arm and didn't look away until the tears had dried up and I was able to focus on the movie again.

Jacob and his friends definitely lightened the load, even at the movie theater when he tried to convince Bella he would never hurt her as Edward had done. Once the prejudice entered the scene, however, everything changed.

"Isn't he a little short for a wolf?" Alice twittered humorously of Jacob's post-transformation appearance.

Even Alice's satire couldn't bring my spirits back up. My own fears of what the wolves might do once I was under their jurisdiction pounded against self-confidence with a strong arm and left my nerves on edge for the rest of the movie.

The terror of Edward's suicide attempt destroyed peace entirely, flaunting edgy contemplation of the possibilities right up until Bella awoke to Edward in her room back in Forks.

"They diminished Carlisle's reasons awfully," Esme berated the filmmakers. "That was a shoddy explanation of why he agreed to change Bella."

"I'm sure they never expected for the real individuals to watch and judge their filming process, my love," Carlisle offered, smiling lovingly at his wife for her defense of him.

"That's no excuse," Esme said with finality, squeezing Carlisle's hand.

"And so the rivalry begins," Jasper later grumbled of the ending debate between Edward, Bella, and Jacob.

"Tomorrow will bring a lot more emotion and discomfort," Alice mentioned, nose crunched up distastefully as she watched Edward's onscreen offer of marriage.

"Let's not argue about Bella's choices again, Alice," I sighed tiredly to the tiny vampire as I recalled the argument from a year earlier. "I don't think we'll ever agree on that."

"I can hold off, I think," Alice poked fun, but her promise was true.

It was Alice's promise that helped me sleep, along with Edward's unanticipated return to 'Moonlight Sonata,' a helpful and calming revival I appreciated more than words could say.

"Thank you," I whispered gratefully to his distant ears.

In the last moment of wakefulness, Edward came into the blurred lines of my vision and offered two comfortable yet troubled words.

"You're welcome."

Morning brought with it both hard-to-grasp memory and fresh curiosity. Changing comprised more time than I wished, but I was too distracted to speed up the process further and instead took my time before heading down to breakfast.

"Emmett is chomping at the bit," Edward later informed me quietly at the island counter, not so much watching me eat as drawing circles upon the countertop in abject dispassion.

"Isn't he always?" I digressed calmly, but inward worry for Edward's considerable depression writhed and flexed in my unsettled stomach.

An empty plate signaled the end of breakfast and the beginning of movie-going in a matter of seconds. Part of me - the child which yet pranced in my inner consciousness – imagined Emmett crouched impatiently by the nearest tree, ready to bolt into the house the moment Rosalie gave him the go-ahead.

Amused in small measures by the unreasonable daydream, I smiled and didn't bother arguing when Esme snatched my cleared plate, glass, and utensils to the sink. The motherly vampire reappeared in the living room behind Edward and I, having washed the few dirty dishes in all of three minutes, tops.

"Everyone ready?" Emmett pronounced to the seven of us, and while his voice emulated a circus ringmaster in high spirits, the burly vampire's eyes told of a hesitation even he couldn't fully eliminate.

"As we'll ever be," Jasper muttered with a roll of his golden eyes.

Offering the former soldier a heated look, Emmett nonetheless ignored his brother and proceeded to play _Eclipse_.

An unknown character started the film, the young man quickly becoming prey to an unseen force we all knew very well was a vampire. By the end of the scene, we had no idea who the young man was, only that he was probably a victim of Victoria somehow, considering her actions – in conjunction with the love triangle – were the main precipice of the third book.

"Could that have been Riley?" Jasper suggested curiously as the screen switched to Bella and Edward in the meadow.

"It's possible, I suppose," Carlisle agreed tentatively. "It's a very prominent scene, so it would make a great deal of sense."

No one felt very appreciative of the drama between Jacob and Bella, Edward's manic overprotection only adding fuel to the fire. Edward groaned more than once at the maddening play between them all.

The scene with Charlie at the police station later confirmed our previous suspicions, proving Riley Biers was indeed the young man in the opening scenes.

Rosalie openly growled at the situation between Paul and Emmett during the chase with Victoria, the blonde furious over the treatment that would likely have occurred with her husband under the circumstances.

Yet Rosalie could not have growled loud enough to match the entire family rumbling with anger when the parking lot confrontation occurred, nor when Riley intruded on Charlie's house and Bella's room, nearly feeding from Charlie in the process. Each successive argument and moment of tension fed our own anxieties as the search for Bella's intruder persisted.

Laughter from every throat startled us all when Edward eventually remarked on Jacob not owning a shirt, myself most of all. Even once the Quileute tribal meeting began, giggles had yet to fade from my throat. I could just picture the real Edward saying that exact phrase in all due sardonic disposition.

Mayhem in the newborn army took some of the humor away. Bree's initial fear, a mere shadow of her later terrors, inspired deep sadness for the young girl who never had any true, authentic chance of surviving and becoming her own person in the original timeline.

For a moment, when Jacob forced a kiss upon Bella onscreen, I nearly reconsidered Rosalie's capacity for growling fury. Emmett, angry as he also felt by the visual representation of Jacob's wrongdoing, was forced to hold his wife close and calm the beautiful vampire as much as possible.

Not a single person in the house was without that indignant rage on Bella's behalf.

As if the events hadn't already drawn a line in the sand, it had to follow up with Rosalie's history in Rochester.

"I can't watch this!" Rosalie spat through snarling lips, and in a blink of the eye she had disappeared from the room – and quite probably the house.

"Keep watching without us. We'll try to be back afterward," Emmett promised vaguely, following whatever direction his wife had gone.

Nikki Reed might not have looked like our Rosalie to such a heavy extent, but the very idea it was supposed to be her in those horrifying circumstances reminded me all too keenly of the damage Rosalie had endured so many decades ago.

From Edward's arm around my shoulders, I regained small amounts of comfort with which to ease a new slew of tears.

"I'm just glad it's not as graphic as it might have been," I dared to admit, although I feared Rosalie hearing my words and taking them far in the wrong direction.

"She's not close enough to hear," Edward informed me calmingly, reading my face even without my thoughts open to his ability. "I don't think she would berate you, in any case."

Lightly reassured by the thought, I nodded and settled back into the sofa while Riley bellowed at the newborn army to keep a low profile.

Hissing now accompanied growls when the Volturi guards stood discussing the newborns and their purpose. Alice scowled over her ability being so widely known to the Italian coven, bringing out a twist of Edward's features.

"I'm—" Edward attempted speech, but Alice cut through.

"Don't even try!" the pixielike vampire snapped, glaring at her brother. "You haven't done any of this."

Defeated before he began, the bronze-haired youth sat back in silent acceptance, buried under mounds and mounds of grief and regret for what he might have revealed to the Volturi in another life.

Graduation and Alice's party subverted only the merest attention from true trouble in the form of the newborns and Riley that would soon come to Forks for Bella's life. Still none of the onscreen Cullens had realized Victoria's leadership, but as we watched battle practice, and the story of Jasper's tragic life with Maria began to unfold, it seemed logical the light bulb would soon flicker.

Inexplicably, Jasper's story didn't disturb me the same way Rosalie's did. Maria in live action form looked frightening, but no real sense of fear took hold of me. My long-ago sense that I would one day meet the bloodthirsty creature struck again, but as always it felt so incredibly far away in time. As if it might never happened at all, although I had learned not to doubt my gift so heavily.

Alice didn't seem at all bothered, either, by Maria of sorts on the screen, but I considered perhaps she had already seen the closeness of Jasper and Maria during her visions in the 1920s. Besides, the entire family had met Maria in Calgary. To an extent, closure had been reached, whereas Rosalie would not allow herself full closure.

Closure or not, however, Rosalie returned with Emmett in a slightly gentled frame of mind. Just enough to make it through the end of the film, I suspected, but didn't say aloud.

Dreams as a resolution ground made so much sense for Bella, and for tying in Jasper's history to the overall plot of the movie. Battle and love-inspired angst contentiously vied for dominance as the newborn battle grew closer and closer, building through to the final battle between Victoria and Edward.

"So they turned me hapless?" Edward grudgingly noted of the moment when Victoria and Riley held his head locked in their grip. "In the books, it was a fully intentional plan to make them think Seth and I weakened."

"I suppose they wanted Bella to have an unflappable reason for cutting her arm," Carlisle decided.

Esme agreed with a nod and expanded on her husband's theory, "In this version, Bella had a real reason to protect Edward; her choice empowered her. But in the books it was an unnecessary wound that didn't actually change the outcome of their battle at all."

"I think it was very necessary in the books," I debated the point, frowning lightly. "Even if Bella didn't change the battle's outcome, she proved just how far she would go to protect Edward. It's just another way she showed how much she loved him – similar to her actions in Volterra."

"All well and good in these alternate timelines, but not as useful now that things are changing," Edward interrupted rather more loudly than strictly necessary.

Spying the annoyance in his face, Esme and I shared a look of mutual comprehension. It was best to let the subject fade for the time being.

With a somewhat happy ending under our belts, everyone found relaxation inasmuch as we had a time to pause in our movie-going and gather thoughts and wits back to normal functioning order. Edward and Rosalie, most of all, appeared world weary and already thoroughly prepared for the films to be over.

Esme had been kind enough to step back while I muddled through emotional tension without her assistance in the kitchen. Prepping a complicated lunch became my survival method, dropping my mind into the thoughtless movements of cutting, slicing, mixing, tossing, pouring, and a dozen other things I usually avoided when I cooked. All for the sake of not thinking quite so much.

Sooner than anyone was ready for, we reconvened in the living area, the last two-part film sitting innocuously on the fireplace mantle.

"Well…" Jasper began, leaving the single word to trail off into a sigh.

"Just play it," Rosalie jumped in with the air of someone ripping off a bandage.

Emmett didn't argue his mate's recommendation and put the first part in.

While I found many reasons to enjoy the first part of _Breaking Dawn_ , it was mostly an easy viewing of light plot moments. Even the honeymoon scenes didn't cause much fuss. Too much darkness had occurred in the first three films and jokes no longer came easy. Emmett tried twice, to a general round of chuckling, but that was all.

Pregnancy and the horrible dysfunction of the Cullens and the Quileutes hit harder than anyone knew how to face, the highly possible disconnect quite prominently troubling. Bella's emaciation was done so well I felt a little sick at the sight of it. Renesmee may have been a glorious gift to her family, but Bella's starving, dying body was not.

Bella's last moments as a human were gory and dreadful to watch. Surely there would be a cleaner, healthier way for Bella to have Renesmee in our timeline, what with all the information the Cullens now had.

"You can prevent that decline of her health, can't you?" I turned to Carlisle, desperate for confirmation.

"We'll be aware of the dietary changes from the start and keep Bella healthier," the doctor comforted me with a small smile. "There is now no reason Bella would have to live like this during the pregnancy. We can also minimize damage by being ready to birth Renesmee earlier."

Overcome with relief, I exhaled peaceably. If I was not able to see the results when Bella's time came, at least I felt immense relief just knowing it was possible to help her.

Jumping only a little when Bella's eyes finally popped open to reveal gleaming red irises, I half laughed at myself, aided by Edward's chortle.

"Next one up, Emmett," Alice prompted the bulkiest Cullen, who paid strict adherence to the order.

Fascinating as Bella's new life was, the distractingly odd looking interpretation of Renesmee kept me from becoming too heavily invested, as it seemed to do for the Cullens as well.

"Perhaps they should have waited a few more years for this film," Jasper frowned awkwardly. "The creative process doesn't seem advanced enough to accurately convey Renesmee's unusual growth and development compared to the beautiful appearance Bella noted in the books."

Nobody argued, which settled the matter well enough as the story grew darker with Irina's harrowing choice. At last we sat at the edge of our seats as the full, final war grew between Cullen and Volturi, witnesses gathered on either side.

In the end, no amount of calming or distraction had prepared us for the films' greatest deviation yet.

Had I been a vampire, I would have joined in on the wrath of the Cullens when Aro captured Alice and Carlisle ran to her protection. But I didn't need to be a vampire to match horrified sounds of shock as Aro and Carlisle met mid-air and the power-hungry leader of the Volturi revealed the ending defeat – Carlisle's severed head.

Carlisle Cullen looked next to nothing like his onscreen portrayer, but that didn't stop Esme from bursting into tears her body could no longer produce. Alive and well beside Esme, Carlisle pulled his wife close. The gentle doctor offered no protest whatsoever when Esme buried her face in his whole and unbroken throat, as if to reassure herself he yet lived.

No tears fell down my face at the reveal. As the characters on the Cullen side stared insensibly at a scene which made no sense, so did I. Carlisle's death had no right to take place and I couldn't move past shock enough to grasp that it apparently had a strong possibility of occurring under Aro's greedy acquisition.

Each of the Cullen children around me roared approval as war commenced and the crowd of witnesses surged forward with rage for the unreasonable death of the one who drew all of them together in one pact of faith and friendship.

"Go Jazz and Bella!" Alice sternly cheered the two onscreen vampires as Bella protected Jasper from Jane's sick power, allowing him to battle onward as the expert veteran soldier he was.

The moment Alec turned to eye Bella in the use of her gift, I cringed and nearly turned away, but my horrid mind could not follow what my heart desired. As if killing kind, gentle Carlisle wasn't enough, the filmmakers had to go one step further into another terrible crime.

Impossible to believe and understand, Alec distracted Bella and Jane soon had freedom to use her gift on Jasper.

Real or not, Jasper suffered unreal levels of pain unto the last moment of his death. Movie Alice screamed in a way I suspected could never cover the true depths of agony our own Alice would truly feel at the sight of Jasper's terrible death.

Indeed, our Alice made a sound I could not fully identify, caught between a squeal of pain, a bottled scream, and a repressed sob. Similar to Carlisle and Esme, Jasper scooped Alice up in his arms and held her tightly in his lean grip.

For the multitude of cold veneers Rosalie had worn over the span of her life, this one time she bore acrid mourning close to the surface, not bothering to hide the love she felt for her family. Pressed by his solemn mate, equally serious Emmett paused the film to let the family take a moment to recover their senses. If there were to be any more deaths, they would need to build back a little of their strength before then.

Cold fingers grasped mine comfortingly, and to Edward's concerned and angry face I turned with an expression full of stupefied bewilderment.

"Are you all right?" Edward asked softly in spite of the wrath still beholden in his tone.

All I found the capability to do was nod, the mindless numbness of it completely opposite the depth of grief and sadness which should have been beating in my heart. These deaths made no sense; they were wrong beyond anything I could imagine – and my imagination ran wild on a good day.

Edward squeezed my hand and reluctantly let the moment pass untested, a sigh wresting itself from his throat.

"Emmett," Alice at last called her brother through a tight throat, thin fingers clenched within the folds of Jasper's sweater.

"Yeah, shorty?" Emmett cued as kindly as any big brother could manage to be.

Drawing a breath from the depth of her soul and releasing Jasper's sweater, Alice exhaled in one short huff and answered, "Let's get moving."

Sending his vampire parents a questioning look, Emmett asked them without words what they would have him do.

To the surprise of no one, Esme raised her head to hold Emmett's gaze.

Esme's reply was simple.

"Go on."

Fortune smiled enough to let our next scenes focus on Emmett's own role, rushing in to bash Alec into the ground and rip him in two, followed by Alice's burst of power in overcoming those who held her down. With the death of her beloved, Alice became a furious force of strength, ruining all who stood in her way.

I kept telling myself death couldn't get any worse, but after so much disbelief, finally something knocked me from shock directly into realization of my deep-seated anger and sorrow.

Kind, open-minded, generous Seth Clearwater, a mere baby even at the time the film was supposed to take place, was tortured and his body broken. All the while that poor sweet boy suffered, Jane smiled.

Leah howled her agony to the sky and Jacob faltered in his escape just when the dam burst and tears rolled down my face.

Raging mad and tremendously hurt as the babyish face of twelve-year-old Seth swam in my mind, I shouted into the room at large, "He's a baby! Just a sweet young _baby_!"

Distressed and apprehensive, Edward did his level best to pull me back even with sobs breaking free from my chest, but I pushed his hands away for reasons I didn't understand. Everything was so overwhelming and these weren't even the real people I knew. Just the thought of it, though… the mere idea that Carlisle, Jasper, and Seth might die left me bereft. I barely knew Seth, but he had formed a place in my heart with his sweet, childlike admiration for Edward. I loved them, all three of them, too much to imagine losing them.

"Come here, sweetheart," Carlisle whispered almost tearfully, now on his feet and reaching softly for me, slowly pulling me under his strength. How he managed to keep me close when all I felt was a need to run away, I had no idea. Perhaps his potential death drew me to hold on while he was very much alive and there with us all.

This time it was my own emotions that forced Emmett to stop the film. Carlisle held me in a ring of nearly impenetrable steel arms with his head settled gently atop mine. Buried there in a father's embrace for an age, I let loose my pain and cried until the noise fell at long last to quiet sniffling.

Pulling back only a small fraction, Carlisle slipped his finger under my chin and lifted my splotchy red face to meet his eyes. "Any better?"

Shrugging unthinkingly, I shook my head in a vague semblance of agreement.

"I would like Jasper to help you manage your feelings," Carlisle recommended. "Just until we have finished the film, if that is amenable to you?"

Congested and feeling a headache from my crying fit, I didn't have the will to argue and perhaps it was for the better.

"Good," Carlisle settled in relief, smiling slightly as he gently guided me in a turn to face Jasper.

Alice had since moved to sit with Edward again, her dark eyes following me understandingly. Jasper stood waiting with one hand outstretched, brows drawn in lines of disquiet, but he produce a brief upward twist of his mouth and I felt strangely comforted by the image.

As much as I wanted to wrap my arms around the vampire who had become a wonderful older brother in the past year, I knew it could sometimes be a little difficult still.

Scoffing only a smidgen, Jasper pulled me in without any hesitation, hugging somehow more closely than Carlisle; if only because Jasper knew more intimately the precise emotions flashing within me.

Jasper and Carlisle mutually decided when to restart the film, based mainly on Jasper's gauge upon my sensitivity.

Jacob's defeat, even in grief, of the vampire tracking him rallied a tiny nudge of hope, but seeing Edward and Bella under siege helped nothing.

"Can he _do_ that?" Emmett wondered incredulously of Benjamin's move to split the very ground between Cullens and Volturi.

"I believe he may possess such capacity, yes," Carlisle determined of the young man.

"It doesn't seem to be an entirely helpful move," Rosalie decreed angrily when Esme and her aggressor fell upon the edge of the ravine.

' _Not Esme_ ,' I thought nervously. Reigned in by Jasper somewhat, I nonetheless prayed Esme's death was not one of the possibilities forced upon us to watch.

Leah's choice to protect Esme warmed me, barely holding back the upset of Leah's death in the process.

Part of me surely snapped in half when Edward fell into the chasm and I wanted nothing more than to slap the smirk off Demetri's face.

In a flash, my outrage morphed into laughter as Edward burst from the falling rubble with a rebel yell to take Demetri down in one snap of the neck.

Everyone joined my amazed laughter when Jane looked around in fear and came face to face with one ferocious and choleric Alice Cullen.

Quite beside myself and beyond any kind of decorum, I murmured hopefully, "Kick her ass, Alice."

Alice herself burst with a bold, shocked laugh as the words left my lips and we both turned to share a stunned gaze with each other. Glancing peripherally at Esme's surprise, I bit my lip with only minute sheepishness.

Esme shocked us more when a laugh escaped her as well and she remarked empathically, "Amen to that!"

Roaring with laughter, the men of the family had to force their humor down rapidly before we missed Alice clutch Jane's throat and drag her over to Sam. Loud cheers went up among us as Sam ripped Jane's head from her body, Alice not even staying to watch the end of her enemy.

Caius and Marcus' deaths were both fitting in their own way, a suitable end to both the evil destruction of Irina at Caius' hands and the end of Marcus' long grief since Aro destroyed Didyme. Aro's end, however, took the form of the sweetest poetic justice.

Two gifts which he coveted now turned even more fully against him, Aro gave as good as he got, but his death was assured under Edward and Bella's capable teamwork.

Barely had I thought how little Aro's death balanced what had been lost, before the fire cleared from the screen and the music abruptly cut to quiet in a matter of seconds.

"Now, just wait one stinking minute!" Emmett was the first to call out, staring dumbfounded at the screen as everyone else did.

Aro now stood whole and unharmed.

Alice stood before him, Aro swiftly releasing her hand in great unease.

"What!" I exclaimed next, mouth hanging open.

Each face of the gathered witnesses on both sides of the battle passed the screen, Aro observing each one lost, each one who fought until their likely death in Alice's vision.

Music rose in a crescendo of miserable heartache, swelling strongest when Aro's red sight caught and held Carlisle's golden gaze across what might have been their field of battle – and of death.

Alice's words to Aro explained so much and left so much wanting, as the real Alice told us all dejectedly once Emmett paused the film again.

"This is what I saw," Alice stated without fanfare, even appearing exhausted. "This was the vision in the books that sent me running away with Jasper. All those deaths, all the people who mean so much… obliterated by one man's greed. I can't help but believe only Jacob and Renesmee would have survived, just as Bella predicted."

"But this wasn't even hinted at in the books," I engaged in discussion, thoroughly confused. "There was some interview where the author said a battle would have turned out badly no matter what, but…"

"The books couldn't very well have the vision play out in the text," Alice rectified her statement more clearly. "It was all in the minds of Aro, Edward, and myself. From Bella's point of view, this would never have been seen, because she couldn't see the vision in my mind. And no one would be giving the details until well after the meeting took place – if we survived it."

No one knew what to say to that, leaving us in silence that lasted through the film's post-meeting relief and the culmination of Bella's small, but perfect piece of forever.

Awash in joy for the end of a steady stream of agonizing emotions, the Cullens rose from their places and mingled with new ideas and relief welling in their souls while the sentimental credits played out on the television.

Much of my thoughts wandered to the lengthy battle and its many losses. It didn't really matter to me if the battle vision made sense. I was just mad the filmmakers had put us through so much unneeded pain and misery before watching the true – happy-ish – ending.

"They didn't exactly know we would all be watching," Edward muttered in my ear, taking the seat Jasper had vacated now that my emotions were under control.

It took me a few minutes to comprehend how Edward could have known what I thought of the bait and switch tactic used in the movie, but his next words easily cleared it up.

"Bait and switch is an apt description, I'd say. Well done, Mireille," the mind-reader clarified, a tiny grin spreading over his lips as I realized with horror that my thoughts had been broadcasting loud and clear for quite some time.

"Please don't stop on my account," Edward murmured, but his smirk failed to convey the snark I prepared for. Lips pursed, Edward added to his response, "I like hearing your thoughts."

"I thought you hated hearing thoughts," I mentioned, brows tucked into a frown. "Now you're telling me you like it."

"I don't like _everyone's_ thoughts," the bronze-haired vampire corrected, eyes rolling naturally skyward. "Just yours."

"I think I'll take that as a compliment," I hesitantly pronounced, bringing a true smirk to Edward's lips.

In the aftermath of our cinema day, when all talk had reverted to the lighter subjects of the moment, no one seemed to want to touch the DVDs on the mantle.

Happening to meet Alice's eye across the living area, I nodded slowly to her unasked question. Together, the two of us carried the five Twilight DVDs upstairs and stored them well hidden away in the so-called 'library' area amongst all the Cullens' craft of forgery.

On the way back into the hall, in the quiet of the third floor, I fairly burst with a question dying on my tongue.

"How did you react so… lightly?" I asked more impolitely than intended. "I'm sorry, I just… it was horrible."

Alice just smiled understandingly of my question.

"If they had looked more like us, it would have been _enormously_ terrifying," Alice explained, shrugging and throwing her arm around my shoulders, "but they didn't. I think that's why it was a little easier on me. Moreover, knowing Jazz was there with me countered the chance of full grief overwhelming me. Granted, the remotest possibility of Jasper being… That scene haunts me even so. Silly, I guess, when he's sitting right there with me, but…"

"Terrible as this might sound… I think that's one of the most sensible things I've heard all day."

Stopping on a dime to hug the tiniest Cullen tightly, I warmly validated Alice's aching fear and we returned the day's activities reconciled mildly to our shadows of grief.

For all the warmth I shared with the Cullens that day and the complete trust I felt for them in all things, I required surprisingly little second-guessing to perform an action – more accurately, the lack thereof – beyond my full comprehension at that point in time.

Two nights after we had finished the _Twilight_ films, while most of the Cullens continued to wrap up their Christmas shopping and Edward hunted upwards into Canada for the hope of a mountain lion, I sat in the privacy of my room with unblocked thoughts but tightly-controlled emotions.

Jasper took the night watch, so to speak, so I wasn't alone in the house. Thankfully the former soldier quickly lost himself in taking notes upon another historical essay and left me to my own devices. As such, I felt few worries about bringing my tote bag into the open on my comforter.

Innocuous in and of itself, the bag from my most recent craft day at the church sat still and unassuming before my sights. Yet shudders nearly overtook my body before I reigned them in with a will of steel.

Within the folds of red and green felt, a thick novel still lay – by pure coincidence – buried and waiting. Waiting for what exactly, I had yet to decide. And if I wanted to be careful, I wouldn't make a firm decision anyway, but at some point I would have to either brave the storm and read, or give up and simply show the Cullens my find.

Crafts were beginning to dwindle for the hospital Christmas party and soon all my hiding materials would be gone. Until I determined which path to take, the strange and discomfiting novel would remain in its prison of soft material and I would continue to block thought, feeling, and decision, as I had become so excellent at doing in the presence of my beloved Cullens.

* * *


	15. Chapter 14: Agreement

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities.

 **Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

 **Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

 **Notes:**  
Folks, I guess I'll have to add another note at the top of every chapter, because the following points keep being brought up:  
1) This is not a dream/delusion/insanity/coma/etc. These events are really, physically, literally happening to Mireille.  
2) I said it many times in the 1st installment – Mireille will _never return_ to the world she came from. _Never._ Not in any way, shape, or form.

On to some newer details… Next chapter we will finally see some interaction on the La Push front. It's finally going to be here! And as to the book/author mystery, it will all be revealed in a few chapters. Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing!

 **Song Inspiration:** **  
**_The Wisp Sings_ by Winter Aid

 **Previously** – After Jess/Mir shop, Mir to house/feared silence. Mir found _Twilight_ films  & odd book. Mir afraid/curious of book & left concealed. Esme/Mir spoke, Esme soothed/talked Edward protecting Mir. Cullens debated films. Edward upset, Rose worried, Alice assured. Mir told of film arrival, Rose worried intruder, Cullens debunked. Cullens asked other items, Mir lied of book, Edward/Rose wary. 1st film viewed, Rose/Alice complained of looks. 2nd film viewed, Mir cried of Bella pain, Edward eased. Wolves worried Mir. Edward put on Beethoven anew. 3rd film viewed. Anger of Bella intruder, wolf/vamp drama, forced kiss. Rose left mad, Mir cried of Rose story. Edward regretted reveal of fam gifts. Mir not hurt by Jazz story like Rose. Rose back, Cullens talked Bella 3rd wife move, Edward vexed. 4th film mostly fun. Mir sad of Bella health, Carlisle said can change. 5th film viewed. Carlisle death hard, Esme cried, Mir shocked. Alice loved Bella/Jazz, hurt by Jazz death. Cullens horrified/Mir numb. Cullens loved Em/Alice fights. Mir shaken by Seth death, Edward tried ease, Mir refuted. Carlisle eased Mir. Jazz hugged Mir, Mir sat w/Jazz. Cullens shocked fight not true. Mir upset, Mir realized not blocking Edward. Edward said likes hearing Mir thoughts. Alice/Mir put films away, talked emotions, film's possibilities. Edward hunted/Cullens shopped, Mir left odd book hidden until she made up her mind.

> **Chapter 14: Agreement**

Preoccupied became the word of the moment as the day of Leah Clearwater's birthday celebration edged nearer and nearer, the forward motion almost a runaway freight train in its intensity. Quileutes filled nearly every conversation; morning, noon, and night the Cullens and I found ways to discuss the tribe and the impending event that was now only four days away.

Anticipation and anxiety had grown extensive in the last days, bred from the high level of uncertainty more than anything else. At the worst moments, Esme made passes through any space I spent time in, finding something to tidy before she tenderly patted my hair and then hurriedly left the room. Most of the family retained their optimism in small measures, but it didn't usually last very long at one time.

School and craft nights felt like merciful water after a long, hard drought. There were no talks of the wolves there and my relationships had reached a fairly peaceable point at which to coast through the upcoming four days without regret.

Jessica and Conner had become surprisingly comfortable and calm after their breakup. It seemed forcing a relationship to work had caused more grief than ending the relationship ever could. Oh, there had been a few moments of tense awkwardness, particularly when Mike stuck his nose in, but for the most part the circumstances tended to work themselves out before it became a real problem.

Mike sulked around school with bad grace and generally made people pull away from his once-popular company. Tyler still spoke to him, as did Lauren and Samantha, but between the three of them, it seemed little more than social consequence.

Happily, Ben and Angela spent more time together than expected. Angela now actively sought Ben out at times, and he did the same to her. They weren't dating by any means, but I had no doubts the time would come eventually.

Angela had tried a few times to gather what made me so unhappy – a fact only this one human friend seemed capable of recognizing in my blue gaze. Yet Ben would come up and ask Angela something or mention a project one of them had in a class. Angela couldn't help but let Ben drag her away from contemplation of my circumstances and engage her in conversation.

So life at school continued on the same as always, my new 'normal' one of the blessings I didn't want to take for granted.

Blockading my own grating, invasive fears became of paramount significance as they grew in inexorable proportion to almost outshine normal behavior with my school friends –and potentially even with the Cullens.

Christmas crafting for the hospital Christmas party finally dwindled only to those few straggling projects Angela and I had begun ourselves, assisted by Jessica and Ben at the last. While a part of me wanted to draw the process out over the next three days to occupy my mind and my focus, I knew it might leave the hospital party designs unfinished and Angela struggling to make up the weight on her own.

Barely toeing the line of reason with only two days left, I did everything to the best of my ability for the upcoming hospital event – finished the last crafts, made the last phone calls, planned out the remaining steps for the hospital party – all with Angela's peace of mind at the forefront of my thoughts.

"Aren't you taking on a great deal of work right now?" Esme was the one to ask nervously after I returned later than ever from a night working with Angela on the final plans for the party in ten days.

At the one-day mark before Leah's birthday party, I felt the world closing in already and it had indeed begun to be too much work planning the hospital Christmas event, but I couldn't stop now.

"It's the last time," I said thoughtlessly, the alternate context of the words catching the breath in both of our throats. Not daring to look Esme in the eye, I walked away, adding with hopefully less depressing subtext, "All the projects are complete now."

One thing I hadn't given much thought to since busying myself with crafting and party details swept into my consciousness like a bad penny unexpectedly dropping from a worn-out shoe in the back of the closet.

With Christmas craft nights at a definitive stopping point, my craft tote bag no longer required obvious use. In a sweep of closets in the house that same night, one of the most unhelpful of the family dropped in without warning on my dread thoughts.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the graceful tread of familiar unique red suede heels – heels Alice had specifically bought a few months earlier to wear with a pair of dark skinnies and a light blue sweater with red thread detail.

"No!" I called instantly, just in time as my eyes caught on Alice's hand where it hovered above the handles of my tote bag.

"I was just going to put it all away for you," Alice explained, forehead scrunched. "You told Esme all the projects were complete."

Thinking fast while blocking my thoughts from Edward still wasn't an easy task, but fate was with me when I came up with, "Last minute adjustments. Just in case something tears or falls apart when we put it up on the nineteenth. I'd rather keep it all together until then."

I could just as easily have let Alice put everything away; then closer to the date, she would easily be able to repack the tote bag exactly as she saw it when putting the items away. It wasn't an unreasonable idea under normal circumstances, considering vampires' perfect recall.

Had Alice been any less worried about the wolves and our possible futures, she might have argued the incredibly fallible logic in my argument. The book I had so easily left undecided the previous few days might very well have been revealed.

But Alice was distracted – and a distracted Alice meant less questions.

"Oh, I understand that," the tiny woman agreed knowingly, forehead smoothing into its original state as that reaching hand finally retracted along with my anxiety.

Awkwardly, I realized now was the moment. I would have to try and read the book at some point rather than keep it hidden away, although I was too nervous to make a full decision on the matter.

Despite being virtually frozen in time, the Cullens never stayed static and things always changed in the house. For all I knew, if I was held back on the reservation, the Cullens would find the book while cleaning my room or adding clothes to a closet that wasn't in use.

Repressing a shiver at the vivid imaginings in my head, I nearly shook the fears of La Push away as best I could.

Conversely sparked by the thought of the wolves, I realized something I could ask that would distract Alice even further. And it might even give me a chance to see what the unknown book was about – without Alice seeing or anyone else in the family overhearing. It might be better to take the book out of the house before I was no longer there to watch over it.

Alice made to leave, but before she could round the foot of the bed, I stopped her. "Alice, wait."

"Yes, Mir?" Alice turned immediately, holding many gaze with interest.

"I know you already tried many times," I started hesitantly, hating to lie and cheat my way around Alice, of all people, "but can you try to start seeing around the wolves like in _Breaking Dawn_?"

Alice froze only a few seconds before her elfin features changed drastically to a near tearful expression. "Oh, Mir, of course I'll try. If that would make you feel better, I wouldn't even question trying. I'll start this very moment, all right?"

"I'm sorry," I said, meant for far more than asking this action of her. "I know it's short notice and you probably won't be able to actually do it before… before tomorrow."

Alice inhaled sharply at the words I didn't say, but recovered in time to hug me in her thin arms before leaving to do as I asked.

I wasn't sure how long it might take for Alice to be fully immersed in trying to see around the wolf pack in order to view my future in their presence. Given the uncertainty, I forced myself to utilize the one thing I had been so adamantly against since Leah's invitation.

Closing my eyes and ensuring my thoughts were completely blocked against Edward, I settled into the depths of a question I couldn't ask anyone or anything other than my special gift.

When would be the safest time to read the strange book still hidden in my tote bag?

The question raged through my mind like destructive fire, devouring all in its wake yet offering no explanations. I didn't know how to envision the circumstances without making a decision on the book, struggling for a several minutes to even begin the scenario in my head.

Taking a calming breath, I considered that Alice was the real focus of my question, not the book itself. I didn't have to start with my ability to read the novel, but with Alice's ability to see the wolves separate of their non-mystical companions.

Would Alice ever be distracted enough in her visions – and her attempted rerouting of the wolves – for me to safely read the book without my tiny friend seeing it?

Yes.

A definite yes, then, my gift offered freely and clearly to my mental wonderings.

'Yes' wasn't nearly enough, however. I needed more. I needed a foolproof time to read the book which made me feel so grippingly uncomfortable yet left me in dire need of examining its contents.

Extremely belatedly, I understood with great discomfort that the dire need to open that strange book was not only a sensation of instinct, but an intuition of my gift itself.

In the wake of Leah's invitation and the fear it wrought in me, had I been so hard-nosed about using my gift that I ignored its call?

Suspecting another definite 'yes' if I had actively asked the question of my ability, I felt a burst of irritation with myself. Completely ignoring my ability would never fix anything; it was down to creating balance between excessive trust and excessive doubt. Always a problematic circumstance for me in any situation, balance between trust and doubt now looked to be my only way of successfully harnessing the best values of my gift at all times.

Pressing forward even more determinedly, I reset the mental parameters of my question and tried again.

The entire purpose of asking Alice to see around the wolves wasn't to see any of the Quileutes, but to see me. Her concentration would be on seeing my specific circumstances and making sure I was safe. Alice's ultimate goal was to envision my future, with the vague shadows of the wolves as distant as possible from my own image in the vision.

It was impossible – at present – for Alice to selectively divide wolf forms from any other form in her visions. The wolves simply overrode all other persons in the vision, without regard to who or what they were. At some point, Alice would come against a brick wall too many times and she would become frustrated, even angry, by her own inability to perform the task. She would worry about failing me in my time of need and leaving me unseen and unprotected in wolf territory.

Shoving back guilt for making Alice feel such a way, I refocused on the continuing question.

At last I came away with something definite.

The timing and the place struck me as rebuking all logic and reason, but I couldn't ignore the clarity of my gift's guiding force.

Settled now to my fate even more than before, I opened resigned eyes unto the world with a bruising start.

"Edward."

Buried in layers of subterfuge and neutrality, Edward sat at the desk opposite me, eyes trained without reserve upon my face – an abject study as if I were a piece of technology or scientific research.

Still attempting to catch my breath from the shock of Edward's sudden appearance, I took a long breath and blew it out slowly.

"What are you hiding?" Edward asked with little expectation. By now, the moody young man knew that I rarely revealed what I desired to hide until it was the right time.

"I don't know what you mean," I remarked less than peaceably.

Of all people, Edward knew how to get under my skin and make me talk. I couldn't let him do that now. Besides, I didn't want an argument and that's exactly what would take place if Edward knew of my desire to keep the book to myself. Something about the novel left in my closet made me uncomfortable for reasons beyond my ability to understand and I didn't want that spread amongst the people I loved best.

"You do know," Edward insisted sharply.

"I'm glad you know my thoughts better than I do." My voice retained calm, but a cool air entered the words I couldn't help. It would certainly dig under Edward's skin to mention how thoroughly I blocked him from my mind now, but it couldn't be helped.

Visibly struck by the seeming mockery, Edward took a long moment of silence, breathing in and out deeply in a way I felt sure was meant to control whatever instinctive reaction he had.

Did he think of our sad agreement, as I did? The mutual understanding that we didn't want to argue with such a small timeframe in which to share these moments with each other…

"We both know I don't want to be angry with you," Edward finally conveyed in soft words.

For a moment my eyes snapped to his. Were my thoughts not blocked?

But Edward looked up with pain and weariness only. No deeper irony filled his eyes, telling me with wordless sarcasm that he already knew what I was thinking. It was simply an easy agreement to recall, fitted supremely to our difficult moment now and the potential argument which might have arisen otherwise.

"Then let's not be angry," I parroted back to Edward, meaning every word even if I had no secrets at all.

"Please don't hurt yourself to protect our feelings," Edward offered shrewdly.

For all the ways I blocked Edward Cullen, he simply knew me too well to not have an inkling what I did and why, even without knowing the original cause.

Seeing my plain reticence to give a promise I could never keep, Edward sighed deep in his chest and shook his head as he left me to my own mind once more.

If Edward already tried to get to the root of what troubled me, then the rest of the family would try soon enough. Unprepared to face the full family onslaught of care and concern, and outright prodding from some, I made a split-second decision Alice would never even see.

Once I packed up and readied everything I would take to La Push, I would paint.

If anything kept the Cullens from trying to talk to me about my problems, it was a painting excursion. The idea that I was in a deep-thinking mindset usually meant I would come to face some excellent conclusions, find reason in my madness, make peace from fear… No one would know how far from that truth I was. And that was how I wanted it to be.

Sensing, perhaps, this had all the potential to be my last moment rifling through the overgrown closet Esme built for me and Alice filled for me, I took my time choosing clothing both rugged and comfortable, warm and easy to move in. If I required running for any reason – from an emotionally unstable wolf or to escape overzealous captivity – I needed to have the best clothing for that possibility. Fashion didn't hold sway in such situations, but function at its highest gauge.

Sturdy dark jeans, a rare find in my new wardrobe, took first bill on the mess of items. A warm cable-knit sweater followed, the cream color brighter than I wanted, yet it was the warmest one in my closet. The most neutral of my many pieces of outerwear, a thick tan coat with warm sheepskin on the inside came next. Shoes in my wardrobe focused very much on high heels, but I reached far in the back for a pair of tan boots with a solid, sturdy heel and sole.

In searching for a warm scarf, it would have seemed an easy task with such a vast array of neutral looks to complement any outfit. For my purposes, however, there was one sizeable caveat.

I now needed something to match the pink corduroy tote bag I had so narrowly kept out of Alice's grip. Not for fashion reasons, of course, but so no one such as Alice or Rosalie wondered why I wore a bag that didn't match at all. There were plenty of other tote bags in my closet that would match the tan and cream far better. Any suspicion thrown on that bag would most certainly throw suspicion on its contents.

Finally digging out a suitable thick plaid scarf with a similar natural pink tone as the bag, I deemed my outfit complete to the best of my ability.

Heaving a sigh, I placed every piece of the outfit in a tidy stack and carried it to the bathroom, all prepared for my morning routine the next day.

Esme's work room was the next stop on my list and to my gratitude, Esme already had taken up residence in the space to work on blueprints again for Emmett and Rosalie's future house. The motherly vampire seemed completely lost in thought, pencil never touching the page, but hovering an inch above the paper with motionless fingers.

"Esme?"

"Oh, Mir," Esme noticed my voice instantly, never even looking my way until she set her pencil down. "What do you need, sweetheart?"

"I'm going to paint," I answered simply.

"I'll get you some canvases, then," Esme smiled slightly, no doubt pleased by something seemingly normal taking place at so dark a time. "Would you like a mixture?"

"Mostly large square and rectangle."

Nodding her understanding, Esme rapidly whipped out a ladder and took a number of canvases down from the top shelves.

"Here you are, Mir." Another smile, less convincing, passed the caramel-haired woman's lips, but I could find nothing to say that would steal her fear and worry away. My own cascaded too terribly to reach out.

"Thank you, Esme."

Needs complete, I headed back out and downstairs to the foyer with arms full of painting materials. No one waited down on the main level and my destination required no escort, so I patiently set my things down and pulled on a winter coat and accessories to brave the December chill.

Surprisingly, a chair had already been set up outside with cushion and blanket waiting on the seat. Whoever it was understood I needed no one hovering, seeing as they were absent when I arrived.

Deciding not to think on it anymore, but merely feel grateful, I set about placing my easel, canvas, and art supplies within my preferred reach, angled towards the front corner of the house facing the driveway.

There was no real secret what I had decided to paint on this – possibly the last – day before I left the Cullens' safe world and entered the realm of the Quileutes. Terrifying as it would feel to leave this house and this family – every step of the way – I could never stop remembering how much I loved it. No amount of distance would ever be able to dissipate my love for each and every vampire waiting behind those old-fashioned window frames and gold-painted walls.

Precisely the reason I sat down in the middle of December, with nigh debilitating fright and tension over my potential future, to paint the Cullens' fairytale white home in the woods. One last gift to give, if fate was unkind to me.

Neither cold nor congestion stopped my single-minded venture into the artistic realm. Fingers chilled even with gloves on, my nose felt practically numb and no doubt had turned red, and yet onward I painted, not even needing a sketch to begin placing the mystical white structure on the canvas. Spirited away by ethereal green even in the coldest months and surrounded by nothing but misty and otherworldly life, that beautiful house kept and held my attention without even trying.

I had seen that image in my mind a thousand times, gone nearly crazy wanting to go back to its safe and warm confines time and time again after a hard day. For over a year I had memorized every sweet, homey detail of Esme's architectural restoration and the amazing warmth she herself had added by being the loving, doting mother everyone deserved as a child.

I could picture Esme then, standing at one of the kitchen windows, cooking a warm dinner for her only human child; at times her gaze would strike out over the lawn and the forest contently, just happy to be in her own home with her family.

Carlisle would be sitting in his office on the second floor, filling out hospital reports or balancing a checkbook at an absolutely human pace and enjoying every minute of the monotonous work. It made him feel more human to do such mundane tasks. Out of the blue, I remembered when Esme and I had giggled about Carlisle going shopping for groceries. I never did get to go with him to the grocery store, I realized sadly.

Emmett and Jasper would battle in a video game or on a chess board in the living room, Jasper steadily winning by superior strategy and Emmett grumbling and growling over consistent losses despite his own failing action plan. Rosalie, I imagined, would have a brush in her fingers, traipsing glibly through the mass of golden waves dropping down her back and over her shoulders as she sat before the gilded vanity in her room. Across the house, Alice would sketch fashions and sight the future for its many variations and how they would affect her family and her husband.

And in the front window, if one looked closely enough, Edward would sit on the cushioned bench at the baby grand piano, keys flowing under his dexterous fingertips like water from a fountain. Glorious music of Beethoven, Chopin, or Rachmaninov would fill the house and every ear with the complex talent of the pianist at its helm. Close to the artist at work, I would be sitting in a yellow printed armchair, eyes and ears caught up in rapturous awe of the skilled musician giving me such joy with his work.

One day soon, another face would fill that chair. Brown hair tinted red would shine in the sunlight from the front windows and brown eyes would sparkle in fascinated wonder at the marvel that was Edward Cullen.

Giving a smile for the vision I hoped and prayed would come true, knowing everyone in the fairytale white house deserved that happy ending, I began to concoct the house's ethereal white dashed with gold under the midday sun in July.

So focused was I on creating the perfect tint of golden white, risking the removal of my gloves to properly mix the paint, that I missed the vital rustle of leaves beneath light, graceful feet on the front walkway.

"May I join you?"

How lucky that I had taken a leaf from the Cullens' books, no longer reacting with supreme gasps and wide eyes to my shocks, but freezing in place – a marble statue in the ancient gardens of Italy or Greece. So often had I experienced the frozen postures of my vampire friends that it grew into a habit I couldn't suppress. Nevertheless speechless by the unanticipated interruption of my normal painting routine, I could barely nod one way or the other.

"Thank you," the doctor nodded gratefully in spite of my silence, vague smile creasing his mouth at the corners as he took a seat on the ground nearby, heedless of dirt or debris on the work pants he still wore.

Carlisle never tried to see what I painted, but settled dark eyes on the trees off in the distance beyond the yard. The branches swayed in time with a gentle breeze, evergreen holding firm against the slight battering.

"Esme thought you might like to have this," Carlisle spoke again, offering up no less than a full cup of hot chocolate, steam even blowing into the cold air like a chimney as it passed between our hands. Carlisle's fingers didn't even feel cold compared to my own.

Caught off guard by the sentimental treat Esme had made, I found my throat closing in on me. Of course Esme had been doing exactly as I suspected from her. Always worried about me and pampering me with little notions of care.

"That was nice of her," I finally spoke through a clogged throat that had nothing to do with the weather.

Carlisle was kind enough not to watch the tears build up in my eyes or the sudden intense sniffling and throat-clearing I engaged in.

"Sweetheart," Carlisle said instead, melancholy to a fault and no longer hiding his true intentions, "I hope as Edward does – as all of us do – that you will not cause yourself undue harm out of a desire to protect all of us from pain or sadness. We will face any emotion that comes our way. We never want you to weight your already-burdened shoulders with our grief or discomforts. What kind of family would we be, if one took the burdens of all rather than sharing each heartache together – easing each other as much as we may?"

No thoughts or words could possibly explain the reasoning in my mind. Nothing but a self-awareness of my gift and instincts led my action forward. There was no explanation Carlisle, Esme, or any of their vampire children would accept. So in silence I remained absolute, sipping from the depths of steam and hot chocolate as if begging for sense of the chaos.

Sighing knowingly, Carlisle turned the tides of conversation with a startling topic.

"You would have made quite the martyr in the seventeenth century, Mireille. Even the Volturi, I think, would be hard-pressed not to find such painful dedications admirable."

Shocked enough by the name and subject matter to look up at the mischievous face of that eternal twenty-three-year-old, I found no words to respond to such a strange switch.

"Of course, our erstwhile Italian acquaintances have a fascination with legend and myth such as that," Carlisle went on with an apparent shallow interest in anything else, casting intent eyes over his home and estate as if seeing it for the first time. "Shall we find you a suitable historical moniker for such ambitions? Should we call you 'Saint Mireille,' perhaps? I rather feel it has quite a ring to it."

"Only if you would prefer me to call you Stregoni Benefici. That also has quite a ring to it, wouldn't you agree?"

The inquiry traipsed from my lips without a thought, an immediate response to the teasing seriousness of Carlisle's unusual suggestion. The compassionate man had drawn me from my shell with his typical dry, calm sense of humor.

"Do you know, that is actually grammatically incorrect for me?" Carlisle commented, visibly amused and embarrassed at the same time.

"What do you mean?" I asked, brow furrowing.

"It's a funny thing," Carlisle explained turning to facer me fully and forgoing his initial observation of the house and yard. "You see, 'Stregoni Benefici' is a plural form of the phrase. It refers to more than one vampire. The correct variation is 'Stregone Benefico' for an individual vampire."

"Then… why on earth did the Volturi call you by the plural form?" I wondered, eyes widened almost comically at the strange application – by vampires who knew the language backwards and forwards, at that.

Laughing slightly, Carlisle turned dark eyes upon me when he answered, "Well, the name was originally created by the humans in Italy, not the vampires. Citizens were fearful, of course, and any human of even the tiniest faith hopes that where there are supernatural forces of evil, there are balancing supernatural forces of good."

"That still doesn't explain the grammar," I argued, but Carlisle calmly lifted his hand in a request for patience and I fell silent again.

"The people grew thrilled when it seemed their hopes came true," Carlisle continued nostalgically. "Rumors of the beneficent enemy of the red-eyed vampire became widely-spread. As a consequence of their hopes for balanced good and evil, the humans naturally expected there to be more than one beneficent vampire in their midst to counteract the multiple red-eyed vampires they believed to exist. Naturally they also had no knowledge of my actual identity or how many of my kind there were. Thus, born of both hope and ignorance in equal parts, came the term 'Stregoni Benefici' to encompass an entire race of good vampires that humans hoped existed. The Volturi knew, of course, that I was the only one in their company at the time, so they applied the ragingly popular term to me alone, as if I made up the entirety of the strange, vegetarian breed. Of course we know better now, but I was quite the anomaly in Italy at the time."

"Isn't that your natural state of being, Saint Carlisle?" I couldn't help teasing, bringing a full laugh from Carlisle followed by a falsely exasperated sigh.

"Mireille Whitlock, the scourge of saints," Carlisle returned with a shaking head, gently tapping my shoulder with fond affection.

Laughter remained far from my capability of producing, but a smile broadened my lips more than it had since watching the _Twilight_ films with the Cullens.

"Come back inside, darling girl," Carlisle pressed tenderly, eyeing my freezing cold form with sympathy. "Spend this time with us, make the most of these moments… Then go out strong and fierce to meet the enemy at the gate."

"You sound like the wise mentor in a hero movie." I sighed dejectedly, realizing how true that really was.

"Then stop fighting my wisdom and get inside where it's warm," Carlisle demanded with the first real exasperation he had generated since arriving outside.

"I only have a small section left," I delayed, lip caught between my teeth. "This hot chocolate helped a little."

"Very well," Carlisle sighed resignedly, amusement flitting above it – a protective canopy against disruptive upset. "I shall sit here until you finish your hot chocolate and your work. You will also put those gloves back on, understood?"

Groaning over the excessive difficulty gloves presented to my artistic endeavor, I nevertheless let Carlisle take my cup momentarily while I pulled on gloves once more.

Even interrupted as I had been, the Cullens' majestic white home made its full, endearing way onto the canvas as wonderfully as I had envisioned it in my mind earlier that afternoon.

Carlisle made good on his word and sat with me until I finished both my drink and the painting in their entirety, the doctor keeping my mind busy with chatter on any number of normal subjects that had nothing to do with wolves, treaties, or birthday parties. And when I could no longer make finishing touches on the painting, Carlisle took all of my supplies, my empty cup, and the unused canvases back inside, leaving me to carry the unseen painting on my own.

To my surprise, no one approached and tried to find out what the painting represented – not even Emmett – as I set the canvas down and removed my cold weather gear.

Free of the outerwear but still chilled to the bone, I began the arduous trek up to my room. Slow thought my journey upstairs became, I never once damaged any part of the painted canvas and settled it to dry against my craft wall – facing firmly away from the room's main door, it must be said.

Alice waited beside my closet when I turned down the short hallway, a tan scarf, white sweater, black sweatpants, and fresh white socks all waiting in her arms.

"You must be freezing in those things," Alice assumed with a small smile, offering up the new clothing without a care as to its style.

"Psychic," I tossed at the tiny woman, relieved for the ease of it.

"Everyone has something," Alice replied easily and let me walk away with the warm new clothing.

Alice walked back down with me, arm in arm, and didn't let go even when Esme pulled me to sit for a new cup of hot chocolate that almost felt like it was burning my fingers they were so cold. Not satisfied with that simple action, Esme then made a hot meal to further the warming process.

Peace overcame the house while I warmed my body back to a normal temperature. Alice and Esme on either side of me held blankets up between us until I finally set down my empty cup and Emmett incurred my attention from the fireplace mantle.

"Hey, Mir, you want to play?"

Casting an eye over the familiar screen for Astro Pop, I smiled and nodded. "You're on."

Emmett won the games we played, but for a whole night I didn't worry about the future or the wolves or anything at all really, except what movie to watch with every member of the family that night.

The film version of _Pride and Prejudice_ with Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier made quite an ironic choice, but the familiar old film always made me laugh and caused sentimentality to rear up every time. It was a classic and a favorite in my life.

Restless in sleep, even with Beethoven playing in the background, my unbelievably good night didn't hold on as well as I'd hoped. Tension returned in the morning, slowly and surely, but I had made plans to spend time with everyone and I intended to keep those plans.

Carlisle said it well when he told me to make the most of these moments. That I would do and no matter what the outcome, anxiety wasn't going to stop me from sharing what could very well be my last moments with the Cullens for some time.

After I had washed up, toweled my hair, and dressed in my chosen clothing, I returned to the main room only to meet with Rosalie in her standard red color scheme with crossed arms and a hairbrush nearly crumpled in her fingers. Ushered out of my room by the silent, tightly wound woman, I didn't argue when the statuesque vampire settled me at her vanity and took to brushing my hair as she would manage her own silken curls. Taking her time, Rosalie slipped the brush over my hair time and time again, somehow relaxing and creating tension in me at the same time.

Alice also took time with my appearance, asking wordlessly from Rosalie's doorway if she might be allowed to help. Sharing an understanding look with the tiny vampire, I nodded and followed her to her closet space. Nails and makeup weren't precisely necessary for my soon-to-come event, but I didn't bother to argue on more moment in comfort with the spirited psychic.

With Esme a little while later, I sat and enjoyed my favorite Belgian waffles with strawberry, syrup, and whipped cream. Esme chatted about the hardy winter plants she was growing in the greenhouse and the progress of Rosalie and Emmett's house designs.

Resting after such a full, hearty meal, I let Emmett drag me into another round of fast-paced, colorful Astro Pop, followed by Jasper pulling me into a game of chess. While the game ended with my ultimate loss, it went on longer and more challenging than our games used to.

"I might have to reconsider the level of your opposition the next time we play," Jasper remarked.

As I moved on to join Carlisle up in his office, it took a hard mental knock to stop myself commenting that there might not be a next time.

I wasn't planning on dying, of course, nor encountering physical harm necessarily, but I knew the wolves might be desperate enough to 'save' me that they withheld me from returning to the Cullens' presences. At some point there would be an opening to escape, no doubt, but in such a situation I really expected only Jacob would be able to help me once he transformed. Considering that might not be happening for quite some time, as well as Jacob's likely displeasure over our unfortunate but necessary omission of the full truth, I wasn't optimistic on a time range in the near future.

Shaking the thoughts away, I refocused on getting to Carlisle's office.

Between Carlisle, Esme, and I, our task was to frame my artwork from before Forks. Carlisle insisted on hanging it up somewhere in the house, but I absolutely demanded his office was not the place.

Esme solved our dilemma by asking to have my art placed on the walls of her workroom. Creative, colorful, and home to many different forms of art, the alternative location suited my amateur works far better than sitting alongside Solimena's grandeur, to say nothing of the other beautiful art pieces on Carlisle's walls. Giving in seemed to aggrieve Carlisle slightly, but he made no arguments to the contrary and spent as much time finding the proper placement of each piece as if they _had_ been placed in his office.

Upon finishing our chosen task, I almost left to join Edward as he had earlier asked of me, when Carlisle called me back.

"Oh, just a moment, Mireille."

Turning back to the doctor and Esme, the latter wearing a secretive smile, I felt suddenly wary.

"What is it?" I wondered nervously, bringing a laugh from both parents.

"Come with us," Carlisle pressed kindly, wrapping his arm around my shoulders to pull me alongside him out into the hall and towards the front of the house.

There at the end of the hallway sat something large covered in delicate white cloth. In a matter of heartbeats, Carlisle and Esme both lifted the piece, handling a shape that felt undeniably familiar.

White cloth swirled in my vision and then away, revealing aged, silken wood and the timeless image of faith and sacrifice.

Taken in nostalgic memory from the vicarage wherein his father had preached over three-and-a-half centuries earlier, Carlisle's ageless cross hung suspended from the hands of the doctor and his loving wife.

Breath stilted and frozen, I stared in awe at the precious symbol of Carlisle's choice to be better than his vampire nature – and traditional vampires across the world – would have him be. So much history and beauty followed the meaning of Carlisle's treasured piece; not only of his choice as a vampire to be different from everything he thought, but just as importantly Carlisle's choice as a human to better than his cruel father.

From suffering and pain came a man of substance and compassion, of strength and dignity, rising above both man and vampire to make himself anew.

As Bella had done in _Twilight_ , I reached out with a single finger to hover above the shining wood in amazement of its excellent quality after so many years in the world. Different from the young woman who would become Edward's life, my finger dropped to the surface of the wood beneath it.

Smooth and strong, the simple, unadorned wooden cross filled my heart with a sense of homecoming I had never felt so powerfully in my life.

Touched inexorably by the kind, sweet decision to include me in this moment, I rushed first Esme, then Carlisle with a hug of inestimable proportions as tears fought to fall from my eyes. Carlisle nearly crushed me in his arms, all the fatherly love of his generous heart and soul expressed in the seemingly endless embrace.

"We all love you," Carlisle murmured against my hair at the last, just shy of tears. From behind us, Esme barely prevented a sob from breaking her silence. "Never forget how much we love you."

"I could never forget," I whispered into the cool fabric of Carlisle's dress shirt.

At last Carlisle released me from his arms with reluctant yet firm decisiveness and sent me on my way to the last place I would sit even unto the moment I was forced to leave for the most dreaded event I had yet faced. Even Vanessa's attacks could never compare to this – for Vanessa never had the power to separate me from the Cullens as the wolves of La Push would now have.

Edward waited at the base of the staircase on the main floor, hand outstretched to escort me over to the open piano. Not in the yellow printed chair, but directly beside Edward on the bench, I sat enraptured as beautiful music encompassed us all, beginning with the complex love theme Edward had written for Carlisle and Esme.

Engrossed all too happily in Edward's gorgeous concert of music as it continued, among the notable masters I recognized Vivaldi, Chopin, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky… Best and worst of all, Edward slid cleanly and smoothly into the melancholic notes of Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata.'

I knew without asking that it was the end, drawn to spectacularly sad but beautiful heights of emotion as the final notes sounded in the air.

Wordless and mindless, I allowed Edward to lift me from the bench and guide my stiff body to the foyer. Helping me into my coat, Edward made no sound, but pulled me under an arm of steel promise.

"I won't cross that line," Edward vowed to me, iron ferocity filling every syllable, "but don't expect me to let harm come to you. There are other ways…"

"Nothing that will stop outright war," I said quietly, yet the force of truth in those words struck us all mute.

Leaving Edward to his terrible thoughts, I forced away every feeling of guilt and regret just so I could make it out that front door under my own power and go forward to face the enemy at the gate.

* * *


	16. Chapter 15: Alone

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities. This is not a dream, delusion, insanity, or coma. Mireille will never return to the world she came from in any way, shape, or form.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Notes:  
** It's _here_! (Anyone that used to watch _Once Upon A Time_? Gosh, I loved Grumpy.) Well, we're finally to the birthday celebration. And of course, there will be angst incoming. Not going to say how, obviously, but safe to say it's there. ;) Thank you for your reads and reviews!

**Song Inspiration:**  
_Empty_ by Ray LaMontagne _  
_

**Previously** – Mir lived tensely through school, Cullens, hospital party plans. Jess/Conner friends after breakup, Mike sulky, Ben/Ang closer friends, party crafts ended. Mir worried of strange book, left hidden. Alice almost found, Mir stopped. Mir knew Alice distracted. Mir realized must read book or show Cullens. Mir distracted Alice w/seeing 'around' wolves. Alice started to try right away, Mir used gift to know book must be read. Mir used gift to know time for reading book. Edward startled Mir, knew she hid something, Mir denied, Edward left Mir alone. Mir prepared items/outfit for La Push, made sure bag matched/wasn't suspicious. Mir started painting Cullen house. Mir reminisced of time w/Cullens. Carlisle/Mir talked, Carlisle gave hope. Mir spent time with every Cullen. Carlisle/Esme/Mir framed Mir's artwork from old life. Mir saw Carlisle's cross 1st time. Mir hugged Carlisle, emotional over possibly being kept away. Mir sat with Edward, Edward played 'Moonlight Sonata' for Mir. Edward vowed protection, Mir gave reality check  & left for La Push.

> **Chapter 15: Alone**

From the relative safety behind locked doors, as heat steadily melted curling frosts down from the windows, I gazed with drooping brows upon the otherworldly white home sheltered by six cedar trees of overarching grandeur. Warm, glowing halos of light shone through the exterior frost on the front windows of the house, sending my lips to drop weakly at the corners.

Behind those welcoming orbs of light, stood the seven nearest and dearest people I had ever known. And now I had to leave them behind and risk not seeing them again. Not one of them had a reason to stop me that wouldn't incur harm to all concerned in one way or another. Between the collective gifts and mental skills of each and every one of us, it became clear I must go and face the fire on my own.

Sighing a stir of warm breath into the marginally less chilled atmosphere of the car, I nevertheless emitted a tiny stream of foggy air into the quiet of the car.

There was nothing for it. The windows had cleared enough to see the road ahead and behind my vehicle, the side mirrors lost their thick coating and my hands had grown comfortable enough in my gloves to feel the full shape and design of the steering wheel. Accepting the inevitable, I finally turned the key in the ignition and started the drive towards town – away from the apparition of waiting love and warmth.

Misty green passed tree limb over tree limb by my window in the chill of the lonely December night, Every tree leading further and further from the house which had been my refuge from many of life's difficulties.

Ethereal nature gave way to dark, standard evergreens and increasingly bare bark and branch as the path progressed down the main road through the outskirts of Forks. I would have stopped indefinitely at that turn down Highway 110 and possibly never turned, but the thought of the Cullens under attack by the wolves, even only three of them, sent a shudder riveting through my chest.

Making that turn in the dark of the early evening, I felt as though I had started a ticking clock. Ticking onward every second closer to a do-or-die moment where the wolves chose either to let me go or hold me back.

Would it really come down to that? As much as I hoped not, I couldn't deny its plausibility based on the pack's previous interactions regarding the Cullens and I.

Billy Black most likely warning Charlie Swan away – on that very first day I met Jacob. Billy not allowing Jacob to attend the Halloween party at the Cullen house. Billy not waiting for Charlie, Jacob, and I at his house; telling me I shouldn't have come to the bonfire. Emily trying to convince me I didn't know the Cullens well enough to stay with them. Harry trying to throw away Seth's gift from Edward.

After so many examples of ungraceful treatment, how else would the Quileute elders and the wolves expect me to think of them?

Shaking away a grip of anger, I breathed deeply and continued down La Push Road at a snail's pace.

Caught up in the dark and foreboding trees enshrouding my drive towards the reservation, shrill ringing made me jump in the safe confines of the Acura.

Leah's cell phone number showed on the screen and I took another quick breath before answering.

"Hi, Leah." Even in those two simple words, I felt as though the young woman could hear my anxiety creeping towards the breaking point.

"Hi, Mireille," Leah answered and in her voice I could already hear suspicion forming. "Where are you at?"

"Maybe a quarter of the way down Highway 110," I explained, cursing the slight tremor as I spewed more words than my vocal stillness could compensate. "I think I just passed Quillayute Road."

"Glad I caught you, then," Leah remarked, the words practically sliding under her breath as she ignored my tone of voice. "Look, I don't want you to walk in alone, so stop at Jacob's house first, okay? He'll ride the rest of the way with you."

"And Billy is okay with that?" I wondered in disbelief.

"Well, you're in our territory now." I could practically hear Leah rolling her eyes.

Lips twitching a little bit against my will, I shrugged unseen. "Okay. I'll meet him there."

"Great. I'll see you in a few minutes," Leah concluded, ending the call first and leaving me to breathe deep for the hundredth time since starting my fear-ridden journey into Quileute territory.

The Blacks' rich red house came into view all too soon, a familiar teenage boy sitting on the front step and an equally familiar man in a wheelchair waiting there on the rail-free porch, right in front of their white front door.

Realizing belatedly how large the garage on the property was, I wondered why I never noticed when Charlie drove up the night of the bonfire.

Billy briefly said something to his son from the porch, prompting the fourteen-year-old's head to pop up as my car came closer and closer to the house. Dressed just as warmly as I was in jeans, sweater, and coat, Jacob jumped up from the step and hurried to the passenger door, pulling it open as I came to a stop in the dirt drive left of the house.

"Hey, Mireille," Jacob greeted, quiet but pleasant as he climbed in the passenger side. "Ready to get this over with?"

"Thanks for the optimism," I remarked in an instant, drier than a Kansas field in a drought.

Snorting with a roll of his eyes, Jacob retorted, "Don't expect too much to happen. Harry promised he'd stay quiet, but he still doesn't like you being here."

"Then how did Leah make it happen?" I asked incredulously.

Shrugging and sighing at the same time, Jacob could only say, "Sue had something to do with it."

Taking off again with quite a vat of confusion overtaking me, I cast a cursory glance towards Billy Black as he followed our path back onto the main road. There was curiosity, consideration, and some unnamed emotion of disquiet all mixed on the man's features, none of which fully comforted me or discomforted me. Enough tension flooded the climate of my emotions without adding another question atop it all.

Conversation failed us both on the last section of road before reaching the bridge and crossing over the still waters shimmering pale and quiet under a half-clouded moon.

Within two minutes of crossing the small bridge over the Bogachiel River, Jacob spoke for the second time, "Turn right here at Hermison Cutoff."

Forced to make a hard right before I missed the entrance to a curving side road – buried in the evergreens as it was – I only drove another two minutes before Jacob led me around a curve to the right and then straight up a long dirt drive.

Hallway down the drive sat a large, one-story house with a broad, tucked-in corner porch half covered in white lattice. Multiple strands of clear bulb lights hung all along the outside of the house and porch to welcome visitors into the warm, glowing interior of the home; small compared to the Cullens lovely estate, but no less charming in its own comfortable way.

"Ready to go in?" Jacob asked of me more patiently than I expected, gesturing at the house, which appeared full of people as I sat parked in the dirt drive.

"How many people are in there?"

"Well, the family, obviously," the teen explained, visibly counting in his head. "Quil, Old Quil, Embry and his mom, three of Seth and Leah's cousins, a couple aunts and uncles, and I think a couple people from Leah's classes. Sue tried to let Emily come, but obviously Leah said no for a whole lot of reasons."

"Not all related to my bonfire experience, of course," I commented knowingly, feeling only slightly sorry for Emily's impossible situation with her cousin.

"No, definitely not all," Jacob agreed, adding quickly, "Oh, my dad's coming, too."

"He didn't want to ride with me, of course," I sighed tiredly of the drama more closely related to high school angst than a supernatural brawl.

"Actually, he would have." Jacob truly shocked me, lifting his hands helplessly at the odd change in his father. "But Harry was driving in from town and agreed to pick Dad up on the way."

"Charlie isn't coming, then?"

"Harry and Sue invited him, but he's working tonight. Plus he said it wasn't a night for the adults," Jacob answered with a shrug. "They probably didn't mention you coming to the party, though. I think Charlie might have changed his mind if he knew that."

Inhaling a long and worried breath, I finally let the topic go and readied myself for the most uncomfortable night I could imagine facing.

"I guess this is it."

"Yeah, it is," Jacob inhaled deeply as well, opening the passenger side and jogging around to the driver's side before I could make myself reach for the door handle.

"Very gentlemanly," I remarked, voice strained.

"I'm not totally out of it," Jacob half-laughed, sounding only a little offended. "Come on, Sam and his gang aren't here."

If only Jacob knew, I thought wryly, eyes darting towards the surrounding woods with suspicious doubt. Too much had been left unsaid the last time I encountered the wolf pack and I expected Sam, at least, would finally try to speak to me in person at some point. Considering the circumstance from a tactical standpoint, it would be stupid of someone in Sam's position – right or wrong – to not take advantage of the absence of Charlie's protective watch.

Jacob led the way up to front door, both our footsteps marking the surface of the porch steps louder than I desired. Every little action felt magnified as I stepped into the ring of fire. This time, I wasn't merely standing in the freedom of nature, but in a private home. The addition of clear cut walls induced the sensation of a trap, although I felt no such dangerous anticipation in the atmosphere of the Clearwater home. Merely the danger of miscommunication.

Faces turned with familiarity from casual conversations to face Jacob's entrance, but those welcoming expressions dropped awkwardly once Jacob stepped aside and let me walk through the doorway beside him. Several girls who looked nothing like Leah's family offered a look that was certainly not welcoming and I immediately labeled them as probable friends from Leah's classes.

Quil and Embry waved, friendly but secretive, from behind Old Quil, Joy Ateara, and Tiffany Call near the door to the kitchen. Had I not kept such firm hold of myself, I might have let loose a gasp of shock at the dramatic increase in Embry's height since I last saw him. Distracted as I was by the change in Embry – who must have grown five inches in the matter of a month – I almost missed the rapidly developing muscle on Quil's frame. Whatever doubts the Cullens had about earlier transformations in the wolves, my observations surely smashed those doubts to pieces.

Still young and fairly small, normal-looking Seth smiled nervously from behind a man who must have been his uncle, for the man looked much like Sue.

My eyes played tricks on me in the seamless quiet, laying over that young, sweet face the image of torture and death from Breaking Dawn's alternate future. My stomach twisted into unbreakable knots as that heartbreaking image played in my head.

Blinking hard, I found the image gone and the same group of people waiting with their awkward faces and their rigid postures… and one very much alive young boy with a tiny, brave smile for a friend he barely knew.

I would never let that boy die.

I would never let that boy come to harm.

My jaw firmed against the horrendous possibilities. Impossible resolution rising from burial to take a stand in the depths of my chest.

This was now my mission.

In the pending disquiet, the only other truly familiar figures appeared from the kitchen with confused frowns, their intensity matched only by the sudden flip of understanding in those dark eyes.

Sue Clearwater didn't smile, per se, but compared to previous encounters with the tribe, Sue made me feel much less like an invading insect and more like a distant relation she simply didn't know very well, which reminded me clearly of the fact that Sue herself had allowed my attendance at Leah's birthday.

Leah made a point to smile directly at me and moved through her family and acquaintances to embrace me like an old friend. In some ways, I suppose Leah felt closer to me than to the friends she knew before losing Sam, if for no other reason than her own difficulty moving on and being happy with the same old life as before.

"Glad you came, Mireille," Leah greeted me first.

Tentatively returning the bold girl's firm hug, I watched over Leah's shoulder as those same three girls' faces turn annoyed, Sue's eyebrow rose with nigh imperceptible surprise, and Jacob's lips smoothed into a proud and conspiratorial smile.

"Thank you for the invitation," I spoke both to Leah and to her mother across the room, finding the insane will to laugh inside my head. Edward wasn't the only one with formal manners he couldn't suppress, it seemed.

Sue nodded once in respect of my gratitude, but the mother of two allowed Leah to lead the way in this strange new world we were creating.

With Leah's help, I hung my coat and scarf in a closet near the front room alongside Jacob's gear, but clung fiercely to the bag on my shoulder while I offered up a tiny wrapped package with ribbon tied in a bow – courtesy of Esme.

Leah accepted the present with a smaller, but more genuine smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," I smiled in return, readjusting the strap of my bag for lack of something to do.

"Come in the kitchen and get something to eat," Leah encouraged, keeping the present in her hands. "Jacob, you're hungry, right?"

Jacob's covert smile grew into a real grin. "You know I am."

It didn't escape my notice when Quil and Embry snuck behind us in our route down the hall, patently ignoring an unhappy grandfather and one overanxious mother.

Five of us just about filled up the Clearwaters' relatively small kitchen, leaving little room for Sue to slip in behind Embry at the end of the line.

"Would it be all right if I washed my hands at the kitchen sink?" I asked of the room at large, the relatively silly question proof of just how far divided things were between Quileute and Cullen.

"Feel free," Sue finally spoke, gesturing more comfortably than I expected at the white ceramic basin. "Boys, I think that's a good practice for all of you, too."

Collective groans of all three teenage boys filled the air and for a moment brief enough to seem surreal, I felt completely normal. For just that short space of time washing my hands at the kitchen sink, life wasn't a field of battle between two supernatural forces.

As I dried my hands on a towel, the feeling dissipated in a wisp of smoke, but I mourned its passing as if a century of peace had just been destroyed by brutal war.

Infinitely more comfortable in the Clearwater house than I could ever feel, the boys all made a bustle of movement to be first in line at the sink, creating a cacophony of noise as they play-fought with each other and began to dig in with plates and silverware. Leah was forced to put a plate and cutlery in my hands, pushing the middle of my back to get me closer to the foods laid all across the laminate countertop.

Not nearly as hungry as I should have been under the circumstances, I chose a mixture of items to give myself options while I pretended to pick through the plate of food. Leah and Sue both watched from their peripheral vision as I made my careful way over the spread. From Leah I knew sympathy must have been her reason, but from Sue I wasn't certain what form her emotions took.

Did she pity me – the vampire 'pawn' supposedly forced to live with creatures she didn't really know? Growing fiercely angry over the slightest idea of such a mindset, I forced my fingers not to clench the plate and fork in my hands.

Even with the talkative teens and their ongoing chatter, there was no mistaking the rise of noise in the rest of the house. Sue, Leah, and Jacob all shared a particular type of look that told me one thing about the sudden volume.

Harry and Billy had arrived.

On a wordless expression from Sue, both Quil and Embry reluctantly headed out of the kitchen with their plates and back into the front room.

A minute after the two boys had left, they were replaced by one far less ideal candidate.

Harry I easily remembered from the bonfire, his agitated expression none too accepting of the newcomer in his midst.

"Are you going to ignore your other friends?" Harry's slightly overloud voice filled up the small kitchen with ease.

I tried not to give credence to the way the man emphasized 'other' friends to his daughter. My anger should have become infuriated even further, yet out of respect for Leah's relationships with her family, I held my tongue and let the Clearwaters fight their own battles with each other.

"They're not real friends anymore," Leah fought back, chin up. "They haven't even supported me the past year. Besides, Jacob and Mireille only got here just before you did. But you already knew that because you picked up Billy not too long after they left, didn't you?"

Caught in the mess of his own making, Harry scrunched his mouth up in a huff and remained silent. From the corner of my eye, I watched with well-concealed shock as Sue pressed her lips together in an attempt to repress a laugh along with – of all people – Billy Black.

Jacob didn't hold in his laughter nearly as well as his father did, bringing about a very parental scowl from Harry when he heard the snort. Pushing back an unbidden smile of my own, I knew unquestioningly that Jacob wasn't impressed. If the boy didn't listen to his own father, it didn't seem likely anyone else would knock him down to size.

"Why don't we go back out to the living room?" Sue mentioned at last, breaking the tension of withheld humor and anger with admirable calm.

"Not yet," Harry negated, bearing down on his daughter frustratedly. "Your behavior is disrespectful, Leah."

"That's enough, Harry," Sue interrupted clearer than before, yet still quiet, frowning lightly when her husband turned to catch her eye. "This isn't the place or the time. Out to the living room with you. Leah, you too. Come on. We have family out front who haven't seen us for a long time."

Judging Harry's furrowed brow and the stubborn, downward tilt of his jaw, this was an argument already in play. Sue appeared to still have the upper hand – but barely.

Drawing a steep breath and releasing it twice as slowly into the fervid air, Harry closed his eyes a second and opened them again with a new mixture of resignation and resilience.

"All right," Harry agreed shortly, not waiting for his wife or daughter as he practically stomped out of the room. Billy was forced to duck as Harry's hand swung perilously close to his friend's head.

"Mom—"

"No, Leah." Sue didn't bargain this time, peaceable but firm. "Everyone has come to celebrate you becoming an adult. We won't disrespect that by hiding like defiant children."

As much as Sue said 'we' in her commands, there was little doubt she meant Leah's stubborn streak in particular. Based on Leah's scowl and the furrow in her brow, so reminiscent of her father, the young woman understood her mother's insinuation perfectly clearly.

My tiny gift still in hand, Leah stomped from the kitchen in a snit, still reminding me very much of her father.

"They're a lot alike, aren't they?" I finally found my voice, having forced back ten colors of upset since arriving in the house.

Eyes widening in surprise, Sue nodded. "Yes, Leah has become much like her father."

Without much else to say, Sue followed the path of her husband and daughter into the hall, leaving me alone with Jacob and Billy.

At first, I feared Billy would say something like Harry, disregarding any possibility of Jacob calling me a friend.

Jacob's father left me disappointed twice as hard as Harry's cool dismissal ever could have.

"We should rejoin the party," Billy told his son, making no mention whatsoever of the lone girl they would leave behind.

"I'll stay here, thanks," Jacob groused through gritted teeth, setting down his half-empty plate with a definite clink of ceramic.

"Jacob," Billy scolded his son forcefully, similar to Sue with Leah, and there was a strength in his voice even hard-headed Jacob didn't seem prepared to fight.

Shoulders drooping limply, Jacob exhaled the force of his unhappiness in a gust of breath and swung around to offer me a look of apology.

"Just go, Jacob," I instructed the teenager, putting on a smile more false even than my supposed age of sixteen and fighting back a swell of emotion I almost didn't recognize until the tears welled up in my eyes. Furious with myself for allowing another kind of bully to hurt me, I swallowed hard to force back the tears before they could fall.

Not a word fell from Jacob's lips, but the fourteen-year-old rushed me with a hug that could have suffocated a hippopotamus.

"Something's going to change," Jacob promised in my ear, giving another squeeze before he let go. Those dark eyes glinted with a renewed determination I didn't have the energy to understand.

Billy eyed the two of us strangely as Jacob stalked past his father, but the chair-bound man said nothing to me and left a moment later in silent contemplation I didn't bother to think about.

Alone and friendless in the Clearwaters' kitchen, I set down my untouched plate of food, laid my fork noiselessly atop a spoonful of roasted potatoes, and took a seat in the only chair in the room.

I wondered at the reasons my 'gift' had pushed me to come there at all. Had I done something that needed recompense? A reminder of some wrongdoing I had once committed and now needed to atone for? With the answers unavailable to me, I couldn't think of anything I had ever done that deserved such hurtful behavior – and from grown adults.

Dreadful desolation grabbed me by the scruff of the neck with greedy tentacles and held me fast while Leah's party continued with a staggering amount of laughter and merriment. After such a level of contention, it seemed strange to hear such a quick return to joy.

Loneliness struck me without a warning. Like a ghost in the night it crept up behind me, pouncing at the first sign of distraction. Barely a couple of hours separated from the Cullens and already I felt lost – an apparition of the excitable young woman who giggled at Emmett's jokes and teased Alice about fashion.

From the depths of sound memory I drew up a dozen different times I had sat watching the most unorthodox family as they went about their day in the freedom of their own home, without fear of exposure or uprooting their unendingly brief spans of comfort and peace. And always I felt comfortable and welcome among their number, forever missing the honest contentment the Cullen family had long ago offered me.

It didn't help that Sue reminded me of Esme's motherly strength and dignity – so much that it made my heart hurt. How I wished to see her… to hear Esme's embarrassed laugh when Emmett said an inappropriate joke even his mother couldn't help but find funny. I wished beyond measure to see Carlisle engrossed in a historical tome with a pinch between his brows as he concentrated on the text. I wanted to see all of the Cullens in the peace of that charming white house.

Of all the hurts I suffered, I had never felt as pained as in that moment. I missed my vampires so mightily that I could feel the warmth of their collective personalities and the chill of their diamond-hard skin right there in the room with me.

Yet more than anything else I desired, more than I thought possible in the entire span of my young life, I wanted desperately to see Edward.

The sheer magnitude of my yearning pulled the rug straight from under my feet.

Thrown a mile by the sudden longing, I realized just how deeply I wanted to see Edward's face. I wanted to see him smirk at stupid teenage antics and watch him roll his topaz eyes to the ceiling over my sentimental nature. I wanted to talk to him about the raging thoughts beating against my brain and listen to him say how ridiculous my fears were. If I could only talk to him…

From the bag on my shoulder, I pulled out my cell phone so fast it startled my absorbed mind, but I couldn't even pull up Edward's number in the contact list.

Knowing what I did about the Cullens' future, if the wolves weren't satisfied upon some point I had yet to comprehend, what would Edward tell me to do in such strained relations?

My ability. My special gift.

Edward would tell me to use it, to trust the verity of it through all challenges.

Eyes slipping closed of their own volition, I sighed, ever so tired of delving into that realm of intuition. But I trusted Edward and he always said I should use it if I could. In my fingers I cradled the phone carefully, holding it like a talisman against my isolation.

The simple imagining of dialing Edward's number slammed my head with an intuitive expression as fierce as white hot flames.

Now I couldn't even call Edward, if I chose? How could it possibly start a war to simply call and talk with him?

Passion burned my veins in a wildfire of hatred.

I hated the prejudice, the self-righteousness, and the bullying control of the wolves and the elders.

Enraged by the unfairness of it, the very unjustness of this damning path I was forced to tread, I slammed the phone against my leg and ignored the pain it brought on.

"You don't have to keep doing this. It's okay to be afraid."

Shades of ancient majesty obscured Billy Black's voice in mystery and secrecy as he spoke. Snapping up to stare through wet eyes at the intrusive visitor, I found a glare of immense fortitude overwhelming my grief.

"You just understand, do you?" A very human growl underlined every syllable that left my tongue. "I'm not afraid of the Cullens. I'm not angry because they're 'controlling' me. I'm not crying because I want to be free of them!"

Attention now held under the thrall of potent honesty as my voice rose, Billy stayed silent, leaving me to counter myself in clarifying truths.

"I'm afraid of all you grown adults repeatedly bullying me," I spat at him, rising from my chair heatedly. "I'm angry that you've all conspired to rip me away from people I love. I'm crying because I want to go back to those who love me! I want to go back and play chess with Jasper, watch old John Wayne movies with Emmett, go shopping with Alice and Rosalie, plant flowers with Esme… I want to hear Carlisle read Shakespeare aloud. I want to talk to Edward – just _talk to him_."

Crawling in my own skin as the thoughts clambered for the top spot in my mind, I burst into tears and sat back on the chair with a _thump_. If Billy had any words to share when he arrived in the kitchen, there were none left in his head by the time I had disintegrated into sentimental memories and crying fits.

"Mireille?" Jacob's voice cut the air with worry, the teen walking in on quick feet.

"What's going on?" Leah joined in right behind Jacob, anger rising in her question when she saw my face. Between the glares of the two young people, Billy should – by all rights – have keeled over in his chair.

"What on earth?"

Sue belatedly followed her daughter into the room with Harry close behind. Taking one look at me, tears still spilling down my reddened cheeks, Sue rounded on Billy like an angry bear.

"What did you say to her?" Sue demanded of Jacob's father, hands moving to her hips. "There was no reason to be cruel!"

"She's just… unsettled," Billy had the nerve to say, although he looked more like a mouse trying to escape the hawk above his head.

Not that Sue was having any of it. Through narrowed eyes, Sue glared at both men in the room and jabbed a finger in Billy's face, then in Harry's, as she berated them like little boys. "You both contributed to this! Act like the men you are and stop pointing fingers in Mireille's face. You're hurting a poor teenage girl over a century-old treaty!"

"The Cullens have made her this way," Harry protested, face full of bluster and hostility for the vampire family. "They make her afraid to be around us!"

"You're the ones who make her afraid of us!" Jacob angrily informed Harry. "My dad told her to her face that she shouldn't be at the bonfire and Emily all but said Mireille should abandon her only family. Mireille was even afraid you were all going to pretty much kidnap her to keep her away from the Cullens. Oh, she played it off like she wasn't, but you could see it in her face!"

Harry and Billy fell quiet, the former attempting to form words, but falling short.

"Now you two go back to the living room," Sue commanded her husband and Billy.

Dolefully the two men made their way back out of the kitchen, leaving me with three concerned faces staring in worry.

"Want to use my bathroom to clean up or anything?" Leah offered quite nicely. "It's just mine, so you won't get interrupted by anybody."

Still caught up in my runaway emotions, I shrugged in reply.

"Leah can show you," Sue agreed more kindly than I ever expected before coming to the reservation.

Leah helped me stand on my own two feet and led me past Jacob and Sue, taking us into the back hall and all the way to the back of the house. At the end of the left hallway, Leah's door stood open and the young woman pulled me straight through to a tiny protruding room at the back of the space, a room whose wall hosted the wood slat headboard of Leah's bed.

"Go ahead and take your time," Leah informed me comfortably, gesturing at the half-open cedar door while reaching out to take my bag from limp hands and hang it off one of the bedposts. "I'll wait right here."

Nodding, I stepped weary and worn into the other girl's small, tidy, cedar panel bathroom and shut the door firmly behind me.

Toilet, sink, and small shower all in white tile and porcelain brightened the otherwise warm-toned space. Feeling nowhere near as warm or bright as the bathroom in which I stood, I heaved a rough breath and tugged out the small stool half hidden under the sink to sit down.

What a disaster my forced attendance had turned out to be. It was Leah's birthday, of all things, and there she was taking care of me instead of enjoying the celebration of her adulthood. Strong and fierce indeed. Carlisle would have been so disappointed.

And Billy Black had just been given an easy target for my vulnerabilities. He could easily use my emotional tears and the accompanying words against me at any time he chose. I felt so foolish that tears welled up for the second time that night.

God, I just needed to talk to Edward. He would straighten me out in a heartbeat, give me a surefire reason to pull myself together again and push through the night without bursting into tears over and over again. Edward's common sense always brought me to my own senses – if I wasn't so stubborn as to deny it time after time.

Sighing one more time, I tried to remember my reasons for being there at the Clearwaters' house, enduring bullying and separation from my dearest companions, but came away lackluster at the truth.

I was only really there because Alice had seen a war if I didn't go.

Leah's invitation would have gone refused if not for the psychic vampire. Alice's word was enough for me to believe my fate – and my gift – was tied to attending this birthday celebration for Leah.

Until I figured out why specifically I had to be there, and when the wolves would finally make themselves known to me, I could only continue existing in the moment.

Worn out even more than before, I rose from the small stool, replaced it in its spot, and splashed my face with water before stepping back into Leah's room and distracting myself with observations of the bitter young woman's tastes.

Beyond the curved doorway I had first entered, my eyes beheld a simple, warm room with a casually elegant vibe; creamy white walls painted with mustard yellow four feet up. A strong cedar beam settled across the slightly angled ceiling with a swath of colorful orange, yellow, and blue lanterns.

Opposite the main door to the room, a white wicker chair stuffed with pale orange pillows sat in the left corner beside an old cream-painted metal clothing rack which held a number of Leah's shirts and sweaters. The left wall boasted a large window curtained with plain white panels. Parallel to the old-fashioned glass barrier, Leah's bed had been covered in a vintage floral print made up of the room's mustard yellow, mild orange, and dusky blue mixed with a lot of the walls' creamy white tone. Solid pillows to match the color scheme, as well as a thick, crocheted yellow blanket and a dusky blue throw, all completed the look.

Handmade baskets and carvings, as well as a few dream-catchers, scattered the room. Green plants of varying sizes and types spread over the floor and the surfaces of the furniture, much more plentiful than the handmade pieces appeared to be.

"Are you a green thumb?"

Leah turned with a start from her seat at a dual-tone wood desk to the left of the window, the young woman belatedly catching on to my question.

"Yeah, I like plants." Leah shrugged, twisting in her dusky blue cross-backed chair to face me completely. Catching my glimpse at a nearby basket, she added, "Not so good with weaving, though. My baskets are never even."

"Just not your thing?" I wondered, sadly not feeling a real interest so much as a need for distraction.

"I'm too impatient," Leah admitted, nearly speaking under her breath. "I always liked gathering the cedar, stripping the bark, drying the strips… but when it gets to the weaving, I just lose interest after half a basket."

"What about these finished ones?" I inquired, glancing at the few complete baskets hung above the clothes rack.

"Mostly gifts from my grandmother before she died," Leah answered rather wistfully. "Mom helped me weave that last one, though. It's the only one I've ever finished."

Nodding once again encompassed the totality of my reaction.

"You can sit down, if you want," Leah offered, pointing to the white wicker chair.

I felt weary enough to accept the invitation and slipped into the soft pillows with a tiny sensation of relief.

"Do you mind if I open this now?"

Glancing up to find Leah showing me the present I had earlier given, I just tilted my head in acceptance.

With careful fingers, Leah untied the dark pink bow and slit open the black and white striped wrapping paper to reveal a small white box from which she quickly lifted the lid.

Laughter, brief but real, escape Leah's throat and suddenly the whole room's warm, comfortable elegance made total sense. Leah's laugh matched every nuance of the room and I wondered if her heartbreak had, in small ways, begun to fade away. I hoped so.

Leah's eyes twinkled with humor as she dangled a flat rubber keychain from her hand. The rubber displayed brightly colored roller-skates with a bold toe stop, an obvious play on our joking discussion at the skating rink.

"I wasn't sure what you liked."

"This is great!" Leah assured me with a smile. "Thank you. I need to find a good place to hang it up."

While Leah took the time to examine every facet of the colorful keychain and choose a spot to hang it on the wall or on a piece of furniture, my mind drifted to the harsh 'gift' Mike had given Conner more than a week earlier. I barely knew Leah and yet I had given her a gift she enjoyed. Mike had been Conner's friend for years and jealousy of a girl pushed Mike to mistreat his own friend.

Jessica's unfortunate feelings for Mike and Mike's stalking behavior naturally came to mind in the wake of such a memory. Conner's loss of both friend and girlfriend, despite his recovery from both, made me sad. Angela's worry over my growing dissonance floated into my thoughts as well and I felt terrible such a wonderful friend couldn't be given the truth of my seemingly never-ending list of trial and tribulations.

My human friends' troubles only led me back to my own, of course. The wolves' ongoing prejudice was a thorn in my side which had the propensity to rend my world in two. Always the threat of being ripped away from the Cullens terrified me, but I was equally horrified by the way I had hidden and lied about the book in my bag.

Heavy on my mind, the corduroy tote bag reminded me of one clear reason I had decided to stay at Leah's party, even when the young woman herself wasn't enough.

With the wolves dampening Alice's ability to see me, I could release a mountain of fear and worry by facing my terror and reading the strange book.

I cursed my lack of focus when I had gone into the bathroom; it would have been a perfect time to execute my task. It was passed, however, and I would have to find another way.

In trying to think my way around staying in La Push while evading everyone long enough to read the book, I kept replaying Alice's almost tearful face when I asked her to try seeing around the wolves. She had been devastated by the idea of me being taken. Rosalie's fingers very nearly crushed the brush in her hands, such was her nervous disposition. Esme had barely withheld a sob in the hours leading to the impending separation and Carlisle hadn't wanted to let me go. Edward's face as I left, my last words a warning for him not to try and rescue me if the wolves indeed attempted to hold me captive.

Was it fair of me to prolong that agony for them all? Shouldn't I merely do what I came there to do – confront the enemy at the gate and do whatever I could to change their minds? Much as I wanted to think so, my chest curdled with anxiety at the thought of sharing with my vampires the book I had found.

Something in that book would horrify me, of that much I felt certain. I knew not what, but I could feel the surety in my bones.

Somewhere in the grand festival of petrified thoughts and plans, sketching out every worry and doubt in an attempt to spell out my path in a clear, unbridled manner, I found my eyes drooping.

Briefly the fear of sedation passed through my mind, but I had neither drunk nor eaten a single thing since arriving at the Clearwaters' house. Fighting the drowsiness with vibrant insistence, I realized my sleepless nights and weeks were finally catching up to me.

Stress, pressure, and obstinate wakefulness had conspired in one conglomerate of wretched difficulty to drudge me into sleep when I least needed to be vulnerable.

"I think that's the best place," Leah murmured across the room, at last choosing to hang her new keychain, but I never saw beyond the back of her head.

Along the green grass I wandered free and clear of drowsiness or worry or anxiety. Everything felt peaceful and calm, the whole world a land of joy passing under the bright veil of springtime. Flowers grew in a clearing deep under the canopy of cedar and pine, stray dogwood accenting the broad, imperfect circle of trees with delicate delight.

In the light of a spring day, resilient rays of sunshine bathed the earth in warmth. Blinded a moment in the stark rays of white light, I returned my eyes to the flowered clearing, only to find Edward waiting there.

"Edward!" I smiled broadly, jogging into the sunlight to catch hold of his glittering hands. All of his exposed skin sparkled and shone under the sun, a beacon of trust and common sense I sorely needed.

As I reached for the lean vampire's grip, leaning forward eagerly to greet his smile, shadows passed over the clearing and the sun faded back into the charcoal clouds of a rainstorm. Rain fell as mercilessly as the encroaching shadows became clearer to my sights.

Edward stepped in front of me in shock and my body felt rooted to the ground as if with steel rods while the enemy advanced on our position.

Dim morning sunlight cleared the trees far above our heads and outlined the pattering rainfall just as a shadow stepped forward into the light, but I couldn't move enough beyond Edward's protective arms outstretched in front of me to see what form of evil came forth.

Why wouldn't he let me help? I could help Edward, I knew it. He just had to stop pushing me behind him. Yet Edward refused to relent his defensive posture and we remained caught in a frozen dance – Edward's legs clamped to the ground while I battled his arms for the freedom to save his life. I knew I could. I knew it! Edward just wouldn't let me.

Shrill screams vaulted from my mouth as I watched – still trapped behind iron arms – the moment Paul Lahote leaped midair, twisting and morphing from skin to fur, fingers to claws, nose to snout, yell to howl… and lunged for Edward's throat.

Stone squealing against stone cut across the steady morning rain with the force of a siren's wail.

Expecting a sight too horrific to comprehend, I gasped aloud as darkness overcame me, my breath an explosion of hot, panicked air from overtaxed lungs. Darkness clung all around the world and in the quaking of my mind, I feared Paul had become so obsessed in his attack that he suffocated me beneath his great weight while Edward suffered into his death.

Snapping upwards in the darkness, I lost all sense of proportion and frightfully examined every aspect of my position.

There was no great weight on my body, no squealing of stone on stone nor howling of the wolf. My ears failed to discern the fall of water droplets tapping against the leaves. My nose never detected the scent of pine, lilac, and earthy rain that assaulted my senses as Paul leaped forward.

Something wasn't right.

Where was Edward?

Where was Paul?

Frowning into the dark, I breathed with quiet force and calmed my racing heart second by second.

Adjusting to the keen, but incomplete darkness, my eyes honed in upon the atmosphere surrounding me. Slowly my mind outlined the shape of a large window and the curvature of a closed door. Above my head, a thick square beam stretched across the ceiling, several familiar shapes dangling from its solid strength.

Now more accustomed to the dark, my eyes drank in the sight of dream-catchers and baskets hanging on the walls. Waking my mind with rapid blinking and a quiet slap to my cheek, I sat up completely, recognizing the white wicker chair I had sat down in and the crocheted yellow blanket from the foot of Leah's bed. Narrowing my gaze through the dark of the room, I found Leah facing away from me on her bed – deeply asleep under a pile of floral bedding.

Panic set in before I could think much beyond that, and I rushed on silent feet to grab my tote bag from the post of Leah's bed, careful not to wake the eighteen-year-old from slumber as I dug for my cell phone. The familiar technology came under my fingertips before panic overrode my mind entirely and I released a quiet sigh of shaky relief.

I didn't even have the chance to dial a number. There was a text already waiting for me from Alice, sent earlier in the night so as to anticipate my likely panic. A sad smile overtook my mouth. Even blinded by the wolves, Alice knew what my reaction would be and acted accordingly.

_Sue told Charlie and he called. Don't call us. Everything is okay here. I'm sorry._

So many thoughts rammed my brain over the simple message that I couldn't sort them out at first.

I had fallen asleep in Leah's wicker chair while worrying over everything going on in my life, that much I remembered now. Leah must have told Sue. Then Sue had apparently let Charlie know, who let Carlisle and Esme know. The wolves hadn't attacked the Cullens, clearly, but Alice told me not to call and apologized to me. Seeing as she had nothing to apologize for, I could only assume Alice was sorry I couldn't check up on them. No doubt the tiny woman also felt sorry that I still couldn't leave La Push or else bring war down on the Cullens' heads.

All of that made sense and yet… how had the Cullens communicated with Sue to let her know I was allowed to stay sleeping at their house? Had they asked Charlie to call the Clearwaters back? That made sense, too.

It didn't explain Harry Clearwater suddenly agreeing, but perhaps he felt guilty enough from Sue's lecture and Jacob's outburst that he let it pass. That didn't even count whatever Leah might have spouted after I fell asleep.

With that sorted, I was left with one question.

What on earth were Sam, Jared, and Paul waiting for?

I hardly knew, of course, but the mere name of Paul Lahote sent a shiver down my spine. Such a horrible dream wasn't a dream at all, but a nightmare from the worst of the worst my head could concoct.

It started so simply and happily. Just a visit with Edward, probably my mind's way of giving me some comfort without the vampire himself in my presence, but I never got the chance to come close.

Darkness came and Edward trapped me behind him out of protection, but in doing so he prevented me from protecting him in return. And Paul leaped savagely at the helpless, unprotected form of the vampire I so badly desired to talk to.

Edward been trapped by the treaty, I hypothesized, but then I didn't understand why he couldn't defend himself _without_ crossing the treaty line. The greatest threat was that the wolves would attack at the Cullens' own home, as far as I knew. The treaty line didn't exist at the house and if the wolves attacked, Edward wouldn't be pinned in one position.

My mind made no new insights of the topic, no matter how hard I tried, and I began to feel ill just imagining the loss of Edward. Abruptly nauseous, I wrenched my brain away from the terrible sound of Edward being torn apart. Shuddering helplessly against the horror of his suffering, I wished again that I could talk to Edward and reassure myself of his life.

Barred from even that simple action, I sunk into the chair once more and slipped my cell phone back into the tote bag.

A resounding clunk startled me from consideration and prompted blue eyes to a cautious look back in the bag.

The soft red and green felt beneath my shining blue phone certainly couldn't have caused such a noise.

But a book could.

This was it, then. This was the moment I had been waiting for.

A silent chance to face the fear this one novel inspired in me.

Regretful of hiding the book from the Cullens, I nonetheless knew I wouldn't have changed my decision. It didn't make much sense, but the need to hide it from everyone had never left me. Poor Alice had not only been blinded by wolves, but also blindsided by my lack of decisions.

Besides, hadn't my gift encouraged this secrecy? Every one of the Cullens pushed me to utilize and trust my gift, and that was exactly what I had done.

Breathing in my regret, certainty, and the apology fluttering around my mind, I reached inside the pink corduroy bag with one sure hand and pulled out the dark forested book I had hidden for a solid week without ever making a single decision.

Delving in headfirst, I ignored cover blurbs and forewords and the table of contents, heading straight to the first chapter with absolutely no idea what I was about to read.

* * *


	17. Chapter 16: Augury

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make profit off of _Twilight_. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer and Summit Entertainment, etc.

A/N: This is an insert-an-OC story that will veer from canon timeline, but the actual canon events will retain great similarities. This is not a dream, delusion, insanity, or coma. Mireille will never return to the world she came from in any way, shape, or form.

**Chapter Numbering:**  Because AO3 doesn't allow for Prologues/Epilogues/Intermissions (which are usually not meant to be labeled "Chapter #") my numbering within the actual chapter will be different than the link AO3 displays.

**Inspirations Blog** : tumblr(d)farinspirations(d)com – Look for the 'Welcome' link in the side menu that explains how the blog works.

**Notes:  
** Lots of fictional details about the La Push area in this chapter, so if you look it up on a map, it obviously won't exist quite the way it's described here.

In regard to Charlie, I feel I have to say a little bit. Why would I settle a supernatural issue by enacting human law? For the sake of argument, let's say I write Mireille being held at the reservation. I _could_ have Charlie prevent the wolves from keeping Mireille hostage. She would go back to the Cullens and the painful situation would be over in a flash. However, the underlying issue of the wolves' hostility remains. In this case, there is no communication between the two sides and the wolves still don't trust the Cullens after it's over. What would be accomplished? It's like someone with a broken arm taking pain medication, but not setting the bone. The pain might be gone for a time, but the break won't heal properly until the bone is set straight again. Going to Charlie wouldn't solve anything between the wolves and the Cullens, it would only suppress the discord until it exploded in an even worse way later on. This is precisely what the Cullens and Mireille are trying to avoid when Bella becomes involved.

Okay, now hold onto your hats, we're in for a bumpy ride!

Thank you to everyone reading and reviewing!

_**Song Inspiration:** **  
** _Life In Her Yet__ by Rag'n'Bone Man  


**Previously** – Mir reminisced Cullens. Mir to La Push, recalls old encounters. Jacob/Mir to Leah bday, Jacob said Sue helped allow Mir to party. Mir saw Quil/Embry had grown. Mir vowed herself to protect Seth. Leah pointedly friendly w/Mir. Sue congenial, Leah/Harry argued of Mir, Sue ended debate. Billy made Jacob leave room, Mir alone/missed Cullens, wanted to talk w/Edward most of all. Billy thought Mir cried thanks to Cullens, Mir disputed Billy. Sue/Leah confronted Billy/Harry. Jacob argued Harry. Leah/Mir to Leah room, Mir resigned to fate. Mir/Leah bonded, Mir fell asleep. Mir dreamed meeting Edward in woods. Dream darkened, Edward froze/protected Mir, Paul attacked Edward. Mir woke/panicked, checked phone. Alice texted Mir, told of Sue calling Charlie, warned not to call, apologized. Mir confused by dream of Edward  & Paul. Mir put away phone/recalled odd book. Mir took out _Wilderness_ and began reading.

> **Chapter 16: Augury**

Dawn's heavy rays climbed over the swell of the horizon in creeping strands of red. A new day began with the blood of the night before, spilling crimson pain across the drying land of green. Each brown path, once rich green with life, now swept over with shaded burgundy.

Not yet painted in the colors of the dread morning, I sat lifeless in the remaining darkness of Leah Clearwater's room, my features obscured by the shadows of the corner while the day's rising sun cast warm sights upon the form of my sleeping friend.

Unending night had left a wraith of even my darkest, most fearful countenances. Never before had anything so harrowing come over my life. Amy's sudden loss at my lowest moment with her, facing unknowing death as I lay battered and ragged in the forest, believing myself defeated and wasted under Vanessa's thumb in the girls' bathroom, fearing painful death under the hands of an unwitting Peter… None of it could hold the flag of suffering high enough to eclipse this tragedy.

Only separation from the dear vampires who loved me best could ever dethrone the horrendous stab wound throbbing in my chest.

Turning sharply to bury my face in the yellow blanket lent to me, I stamped out every thought with mindless scenes of the world at large. Even arguing with Billy Black or crying over the Cullens was a worthwhile thought to replace the abyss of grief set to bury me in its weight.

Stirring from the bed threw off my focus, drawing bloodshot eyes to Leah where she rolled to face the window. She would be up soon. I could feel it like a driven spike.

Unprepared to face the eighteen-year-old after the way my mind traversed the paths of angst, I swiftly threw off the borrowed blanket and folded it messily over the back of the wicker chair. The bag on my shoulder felt heavier than ever before, the weight of its contents superseding everything but for my desperation to leave the room behind and never come back to the blackness of my isolated experience there.

Packing up in absolute silence, I opened Leah's door with undeniable cunning and sleight of hand so as to leave no sound or trace of my leaving.

Around every corner and hallway I glanced for unwelcome encounters and unfriendly stumbling blocks. No one prevented my trek to the front of the house and I nearly heaved a sigh of relief as the kitchen came into view. One more hallway, the living room, and then I was free to leave my prison.

"Is that you, Mireille?"

Sue Clearwater's voice stopped me dead in my tracks past the kitchen doorway.

What might otherwise have been a quick, unmitigated exit became a lost cause.

Slowly, grudgingly, I retraced my last three steps and stood waiting at the entrance of the kitchen.

"I thought it was you," Sue remarked as though it was just another day and everyone in the house hadn't argued every moment over my presence and the Cullens' supposed foul natures. "No one else in this house would ever move so quietly near the breakfast hour."

Forced smiling cleared my face of any sincerity it may have otherwise had. I had to remind myself Sue didn't have the slightest idea what I had lived through during the night. While all else slept soundly into the red dawn of the coming morning, I had put myself on a journey through hell and back. Sue need never know such a thing, but her unsuspecting ignorance found a chink in my façade and it helplessly irked me. Yet Sue's intervention also offered my mind a clear distraction. It was worth a little patience, in the end.

"Would you like breakfast?" Sue offered politely, a keen glimmer in her dark eyes I was certain almost any true, loving mother possessed. Esme wore the same expression too many times to count.

Out of pure-bred instinct, I tested my gift willingly for signs of the future's due diligence, daring the prescience of my ability to push me any further than it already had.

All seemed set fair, encouragement the only sensation I gathered from the strange intuitive force that now guided so much of my life.

Only allowing myself to nod in agreement, I followed Sue's gesturing wave to sit at the tiny table at the heart of the Clearwaters' kitchen.

"You seem upset," Sue commented rather casually, concentrating more heavily on the eggs cooking on the stovetop than on my facial expressions.

"After last night, I was under the impression I had a right to be." The cold words escaped my mouth before I could stop them, placing blame at Sue's feet when she had actually been quite helpful and good-natured. Granted, I felt she was… testing me somehow, but otherwise she had been more generous than any other.

Eyeing my rigid posture more closely, Sue turned away again with a twist of her lips I couldn't precisely label as happy. "More than last night, I mean. It's been a hard year for Leah and I have seen things I didn't expect to find. Some of them I thought I saw in you just now… but I understand if you don't want to talk to me. All of us have a long road to travel yet, haven't we?"

Suspecting more seriously than before that the woman wanted to test me in some way, I couldn't help my eyes narrowing to blue slits at the peculiar choice of words.

Gauging my expression, Sue pronounced clearly, "If Leah feels such trust for you, then I won't stop your friendship. I know my daughter. She judges well."

Pulling back against the wooden spindles at my shoulder blades, I reassessed the woman before me with new judgment. Perhaps Sue was not as prejudiced as it had seemed in the books. Forming a question in my mind, I pressed into the dearth of my gift's power and came up for air with a course slowly forming in front of my feet.

"Why do I feel Leah wouldn't agree with that?" I finally queried to the room in general.

Sue tilted her head to the side, curious and discerning as she carefully folded scrambled eggs onto a plate and set the entire breakfast in front of me on the table. "No, she probably wouldn't."

"It was very unjust not to share the truth with her," I tested the waters more strongly, a genuine sense of injustice swelling in my heart for the poor young woman. Leah had suffered too much heartbreak and mistrust to leave her in the dark over the real reasons behind Sam and Emily's actions. It also wasn't fair to the two of them, neither of whom had chosen to hurt Leah.

Sam still loved Leah in a part of his heart, something I fully believed after watching the _Twilight_ films. The battle in _Breaking Dawn Part 2_ , and Sam's reaction to Leah's death, struck me very poignantly. I felt a keen sense that Sam's actions would have been the same in reality.

Clanking drew my attention back to Sue's guarded face; she had gracelessly dropped the spatula in the sink.

"How could you…?" the mother of two wondered, almost afraid of my knowledge.

Hardly able to answer such a question in the enemy camp, so to speak, I ran the possible answers by my gift for help.

"Some things are obvious when you observe other people closely enough," I digressed slowly, following every nudge and wink my gift offered and wondering precisely what Sue had first thought I meant. "Particularly under certain realms of knowledge."

The words made their intended mark, Sue pausing to juggle a hard decision over the empty frying pan. At last the wife and mother settled with a small slouch.

"If I could turn back time," Sue told me, voice growing hoarse with pain, "I would tell her everything. I will never regret anything as much as choosing to stay silent."

Redirecting my eyes away from Sue's terrible sadness, I focused on the plate of food sitting on the table. I wasn't hungry by a long shot, but it seemed too kind a gesture to refuse after such frank discussion.

Nothing more passed between Sue and I, leaving the small kitchen in silence that was only divided by the clinking and ringing of dishes as Sue started on her family's breakfast and I ate without tasting anything.

Leah was the first down to the table at the early morning hour, far from rumpled with long dark hair hanging smoothly over her shoulders and a fresh set of warm clothes brightening her disposition.

"Good morning, Leah," Sue greeted her eldest, smiling but keeping eyes trained on her work. For protection against her emotions or simply to forgo burning breakfast, I would never know. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks, Mom," Leah returned the sentiment haphazardly, taking the chair to my left as she fussed with a brown-wrapped box. "You okay, Mireille?"

"I'm fine." The typical answer spilled from my lips as practiced as a song. "Did you enjoy most of your birthday?"

"Not really. Too many fake smiles were passed around the room."

"Leah," Sue reprimanded the eighteen-year-old firmly.

Leah shrugged, visibly lacking any regret for what she had said.

"Thank you for breakfast, Mrs. Clearwater," I addressed the woman in question. "And the talk we had. I should go now."

"Sue, please," Leah's mother persuaded me.

"Sue, then," I embraced the name of the remarkably hospitable woman, standing from the chair.

"I'll walk out with you," said Leah rapidly, scraping back her chair to stand with me.

"Aren't you going to eat?" I asked, brows diving down my features.

"I want to talk for second," Leah stated, rather than answering the question, already pulling me through the kitchen.

In the hallway, Leah handed over my coat and scarf, quickly taking out her own brick red coat and pulling it over top her quilted burgundy vest.

Chilled though it felt, by the time we stepped outside, the air was warmer by a wide margin than the night had been.

Waiting on Leah to stop fiddling with the oddly-wrapped brown package still in her grasp, I took a moment to examine the Clearwater home in the broad light of day, giving my wrecked mind a place to wander without falling on the knowledge I could barely stand to know.

Roofed in brown and trimmed in white, the sky blue house looked a bit careworn, but definitely livable and comfortable. The white lattice porch base rushed out from the corner to meet the front wall of the house, larger than I remembered from the previous night.

Now clearly visible in the light of day, a worn wooden swing on two lengths of thick rope made its home at the center of a small gathering of trees near the front right corner of the house, half hiding a brown garage just beyond.

Trees crowded the area in general, but the house and garage themselves stood unhampered by any clustering of tree trunks and branches, leaving the sun to claim dominion over the extensive yard.

"Hey, Leah!"

Both our heads jerked up at the same time to spy Embry Call jogging down Hermison Road in a coat that did nothing to camouflage the developing height I had noticed at Leah's party.

"Hey Embry!" Leah called back, throwing up a hand in greeting. I was pleased to see Leah had forgiven the 'cowardice' she rebuked during our previous outings together.

"Hi, Mireille!" Embry greeted me with quiet enthusiasm as he came to a stop. "Sorry I didn't join your rebel cause after Halloween. I was grounded and… Well, I don't like to upset my mom too much."

"Hello Embry," I replied without judgment. "I understand, believe me."

"So you're on sleepover terms now?" Embry concluded erroneously.

"No, not especially."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Mireille fell asleep, thanks to everybody jumping down her throat and wearing her out. Charlie was the middle man with the Cullens."

"Bet he wasn't happy about not being invited then," Embry figured knowingly.

"Of course he wasn't happy," Leah agreed, snorting quietly. "Charlie's smart enough to figure out my dad excluded him on purpose."

"Oh." Embry frowned with realization. "You mean… so Harry and Billy could gang up on Mireille?"

"What else?" Leah could barely get the words out through her tightly gritted teeth.

"Do you live just down Hermison Road, Embry?" I inquired curiously, cutting the unpleasant topic short.

"Yeah, we have that white house down the way." Embry turned to point at a tiny white house barely visible through the trees before going on, "Where are you headed now?"

"I was going to leave, actually," I explained without any actual heat. "I gathered Leah wanted to say something, though."

"Not here." Leah shook her head, pointing at the cutoff which led to her house. "Can we drive up onto La Push Road for a minute? Just right by here."

"Can I come with?" Embry cut in, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"If Mireille's okay with it." Leah shrugged, giving me the clear chance to refuse.

"Might as well make a car-full," I allowed with a sigh, shrugging the same as Leah. "Hop in."

Whooping out loud, but in a quiet voice, Embry gladly joined us in the Acura on the minor jaunt around the corner.

"Pull up there a little more," Leah suggested of a spot across from another dirt drive. "Hey, Embry, is Quil up yet?"

"Heck no," Embry half laughed. "It's too early for that. Give it another hour or so."

"So Quil lives there, I'm assuming?" I started, nodding at the dark green house and garage across the road as I pulled my car into park along the right shoulder.

"Yeah, him, his mom, and Old Quil," Embry confirmed, nodding along. "Old Quil still has a house at the heart of the reservation, but usually he lives here."

Nodding my understanding, I returned focus to the matter at hand, "Okay, Leah. What did you want to say?"

"It's not so much words as a gift," Leah murmured, handing over the selfsame brown-wrapped gift she had been messing with.

"Oh, Leah… this is…" I began, uncertain how to finish the words on my tongue.

"Just open it," Leah insisted a little impatiently, but still congenial to a point.

Doing as I was asked, I pulled off paper and lid to reveal an unmistakable, handmade piece of work. Hanging from a small loop, a length of pale, natural, fibrous string wrapped around a small circle, threads of the string creating an intricate design in the center of the circle that reminded me strongly of a Gardenia. At the heart of the design, a turquoise button had been attached. From the circle's bottom edge hung turquoise ribbons and more string decorated with wooden beads of varying colors, along with narrow brown and white feathers. Delicate but strong, the beauty of the dream-catcher put a small smile on my face.

"It's lovely, Leah," I considered with an ongoing slight smile as I eyed the thoughtful gift in my hand. "Thank you, but why?"

"Last night you were pretty upset while you slept," Leah admitted. The reminder of my nightmare brought on a shiver, but I repressed it with all my strength. "Hopefully this will help keep your bad dreams away."

"How did you make it so fast?" I wondered.

"I didn't." Leah shook her head. "I made it last year. After… after some things happened. I always felt a little better with it, so maybe it can help you, too."

"But it's yours," I debated quietly. "Won't you be missing it?"

"I'm better than I was," the young woman denied. "Besides, Seth made me one for my birthday, so I'll have that… You celebrate Christmas, don't you? Consider it an early Christmas present if you want."

Decisively hanging the small dream-catcher from my front mirror for safekeeping, I hugged Leah fiercely. "Thank you, Leah."

Hugging me in return, Leah said simply, "You're welcome."

"Jacob will be upset," Embry teased from the backseat. "He thinks he has the monopoly on dream-catchers."

Snorting loudly, Leah remarked, "Yeah, Mireille, I'm surprised he hasn't given you one before, actually."

"He was a little more concerned with rebellion," I sighed exasperatedly, bringing a laugh from both my companions. "Was there anything else you wanted to say, Leah?"

"Only an apology," she replied with an influx of anger. "For my dad, Billy, the whole mess."

"You didn't choose it," I eased her emotive response as best I could. "At least Sue was kind to me."

"Mom is… different." Leah frowned. "I don't know why she changed, but it was after the bonfire. Last night just reinforced it, I think."

"Glad to know somebody feels a little generosity," I muttered bitterly, contrastingly pleased by Sue's genuine change of mind.

"It's crazy, all of this!" Leah exclaimed, burning with distaste. "I mean, your family is held to treaty lines nobody even knows about!"

"What?" I turned to the eighteen-year-old with surprise. "What do you mean?"

"It's true," Embry agreed, growing unhappy. "I remember Old Quil talking to Billy about it after the bonfire. Me, Jacob, and Quil were listening at the window. They really should have known better, but Billy was kind of upset, so I don't think he was thinking too clear."

"So… this dates back to the original treaty?" I asked carefully of the two.

"Yeah, I guess Levi Uley was big on the secret," Embry clarified. "Ephraim not so much, but I guess he thought better safe than sorry. That's what Old Quil was saying, anyway."

Awkwardly, I considered the ramifications of such an enormous discord. The pack could attack the Cullens at a point they never realized was a part of the treaty – all because the original pack became nervous and retroactively edited the lines of their territory. That didn't necessarily mean Edward hadn't heard those plans in the minds of Ephraim and his pack, of course, but I had the uncomfortable feeling he never had.

"So where are the treaty lines, then?" I demanded irritably, trying and failing to ease up before I took my frustrations out on innocent people. Leah and Embry didn't deserve that, I knew. Yet my agitation could not be fully released; the pack's secrecy, however typical of them, boded ill.

Omens and auguries seemed my strongest suit now, I recognized with immense sarcasm.

"I only know a few of the cutoff lines, myself," Embry answered hesitantly, brows heavy with thought as he pointed at the trees on the other side of La Push Road. "I know there's a part of the Bogachiel shoreline – somewhere northeast of here – where it becomes neutral territory."

"Hypothetically speaking," I began warily, "if I ever desired to find this shoreline… how would I go about doing that?"

"I don't really know," Embry admitted, lifting his shoulders up and down.

"What about the main road up past Jacob's house?"

"The split of La Push Road and Quillayute Road is the major starting point of the treaty line," Leah explained further. "La Push Road is the eastern boundary until you reach Mora Road. Outside of that, it's a lot of land division no one has ever explained to us. Clearly they want it to be a little ambiguous to everyone outside the council."

"You don't happen to have a map, do you?" I asked, far beyond confused after the frustrating, depressing night and morning I had lived.

"I've got one better." Embry grinned, suddenly lit up with an idea. "Can I use your cell phone?"

Confused but surprisingly trusting in the teenager, I nevertheless made a show of digging around for my cell phone so I had time to use my gift and determine if Embry's request was wise.

Left with an affirmative response, I finally 'found' the phone in my tote bag and handed it off to Embry's patient hands, watching as he dialed a number he knew by heart.

"Hey, it's Embry," the teen spoke in response to something unheard by Leah and me. "Yeah, yeah, it's me. Can you still get the top secret secret?"

Leah and I snorted together at the ridiculous term, leaving Embry looking sheepish.

"Yeah, bring them with you. I'm across the road right now. Blue car…. Okay."

Embry handed back my cell phone without explaining whom he called or why. Sharing a side-eye with Leah, I sighed and turned to wait.

Ten minutes later, muscular and rumpled-looking Quil Ateara ran out of the dark green house across the way, hurrying over to the Acura in haphazard sweatshirt and fall coat. Both articles of clothing were too tight on the rapidly growing youth.

"I have it!" were the first words from the nigh burly teenager's mouth as he threw himself into the backseat beside Embry. In a loose fist, Quil held up a long, rolled paper triumphantly.

" _What_ do you have?" Leah questioned the shorter of the two fourteen-year-olds with narrowed, suspicious eyes.

"A map…" Quil began dramatically, waggling his dark eyebrows so furiously I burst with a loud snort of laughter.

Grinning at the garnered reaction, Quil finished his statement, "A map… of the treaty lines!"

"What?" Leah and I shouted at the same moment, sharing an excited look.

"Yeah, my grandfather had it tucked away in an old chest in our house," Quil went on to explain. "But we can't talk about it here – we might get caught. Let's drive up to Mora Road. Nobody lives by that corner."

Wasting no time, I started the car again and made a tight turn back towards the east. I didn't know if the wolves were waiting in the trees along the way, but based on the lack of communication from the Cullens, I assumed that was the case. Hopefully their supernatural ears were far enough away that Quil's sneaking acquisition wouldn't be heard of until we were already finished.

Mora Road came up a half mile past the Blacks' home, the three-way intersection ws far enough away from the little red house to avoid being caught by superstitious elders.

Pulling off onto the shoulder about fifteen yards away from the actual intersection, I threw the gear into park and placed my focus on Quil with a surprising amount of enthusiasm.

Quil didn't even wait for the car to come to a full stop, already handing the map up over the center console. "Here you go."

"Those are a lot of weird jumps and twist over the terrain," Leah murmured, frowning heavily and pointing to a series of impossibly inhuman cuts and curves in the forest east of La Push Rd. "I mean, what normal person would be able to navigate that without years of teachings?"

Face kept carefully neutral as I easily imagined the Cullens traversing such jumps and twists, I shrugged. "I doubt anyone planned on 'normal' when they made this map."

"I guess so," Leah agreed reluctantly.

"Check out those crazy land divisions in the northwest," Quil directed us amazedly.

"That's even worse than the eastern territory," Embry remarked, trying to point to a particular section while Leah and I held the map between us, but pale sunlight poured through the back of the map and made it infinitely more challenging to read.

Fumbling back and forth with the map a few more minutes so that all four of us could read at the same time became exasperating.

"Look," I told my three friends in annoyance, "let's put the front seats all the way down. We can all hold a corner of the map that way."

At last able to see the entirety of the map's land areas, I frowned over the same spots of utter chaos on the border divisions of the Quileutes' treaty.

"What's going on with this section here?" I inquired of a spot near the Bogachiel River; the way in which the land had been cordoned off was so confusing I couldn't even see the point of such detailed divisions.

"I think that's the one I was talking about," Embry recalled, eyes intensifying upon the map.

"It's way off in the trees and there's not really a clear cut path to it from this area," Quil explained. "But if you really wanted to find it, you could drive back up to Goodman Manline Road and follow it for a mile and a half. There's a trail on the right side of the road and it eventually splits. No matter which fork you take, you'll find the shoreline, though."

"And this one?" I asked of the point Leah had attempted to explain earlier.

"If you're coming from Forks, the turnoff for Quillayute Road is about halfway down La Push Road," Quil took charge once more. Clearly, this was one of his strong points. "Only a few miles. Quillayute Road runs right over the Sol Duc River. The bridge is the dividing line over the river; cuts it in half for the treaty's purposes."

"At least that one is clear cut," I muttered under my breath, trying to memorize every major point of the treaty's boundaries.

With the tiny, carved nuances in purely forested areas, however, it became next to impossible for my human mind to capture every point I wanted to. If one of the Cullens read it, then it would be clear as crystal, but that kind of stunt wasn't a risk I felt willing to take.

Staring at the intricate and comprehensive lay of the land, plainly hand-drawn, another possibility came to mind.

I just hoped Quil wouldn't be too upset by it.

"Could I sketch a rough copy of this?" I asked of the teenager.

"We're not supposed to give our sacred duties into the hands of strangers," Quil responded, a wealth of dignity infusing his young voice that caught me off guard. Nervous now, I waited out the seconds while Leah and Embry stared at Quil as if he had grown a second head.

My worries fell to naught when Quil's stoic, proud features slipped and the corners of his mouth turned up into a grin. "You're a rebel all right, Mireille. Too bad Jacob isn't here to enjoy it."

Sighing in happy relief amidst the three teenagers' laughter, I reached over the map and smacked Quil's arm firmly. "Don't do that to me! I'm wound tight enough as it is lately."

"Sorry, Mireille," Quil said simply; both boys did look sincerely repentant, even if Leah didn't.

"I know I have a few pencils, but I don't know if I have any paper large enough," I mumbled half to myself. I dug quickly in my tote bag for a notebook and pointedly ignored the ghostly elephant staring me in the face. I had bigger fish to fry for the time being.

"I'll go steal some of the paper from Jacob's garage," Quil announced all too eagerly. "He always has some lying around so he can draw out the car parts and everything. Large pages, like the map. Be back in twenty."

"Won't Billy notice you?" I interceded with a gargantuan sense of alarm razing my brain. "If he sees you, we're dead."

"He won't see me," Quil argued, rolling his eyes and already opening the car door. "The back door to the garage is nowhere in sight of the house. I swear."

"Well… all right," I accepted that explanation reluctantly, calling out as the boy closed the door, "You be careful, Quil Ateara!"

Merely waving his acknowledgement, Quil headed back up the road at a trot, leaving me to sigh with zealous anxiety.

"He'll be fine, Mireille," Embry quietly tried to comfort me.

"You wouldn't _believe_ the things they've gotten away with," Leah confessed exasperatedly and disbelievingly in the same breath.

"Yeah, ask Leah." Embry grinned a little wider than I thought appropriate under the circumstances, but at least I believed Leah's admission to hold a grain of truth.

Knowing it would take Quil at least ten minutes back and forth at a steady walk, I crossed my arms over my ribcage and settled into my seat to wait. Every couple minutes, my eyes darted to the rearview mirror, a mountain of disquiet filling my knotted stomach as the time passed in aching slowness.

Only fifteen minutes had gone by when I noticed Quil in the rearview, heading back to the car. But Quil didn't come back the precise way he had promised me he would.

Quil didn't just walk or even jog in our direction, he _sprinted_ down the road like a man possessed.

Throwing open the rear door and throwing a thick roll of papers into the backseat, Quil panted as he explained in short sentences, "Billy was outside. Wait a while. Don't take La Push."

Knocking the door closed just shy of slamming it, Quil raced back the way he had come, dodging into the trees and disappearing from view.

"That's not good," I said, nerves growing twice as damaging.

"It's fine." Embry shrugged off the wrench in our plans of secrecy, although a tinge of nervousness did stain his lean face.

What Embry didn't – couldn't – understand was that my fear had nothing to do with the teens' guardians and everything to do with the young men those guardians might call upon.

"What about the map?" I wondered, trying not to panic. "Quil has to take it back!"

"I'll give it back to him," Embry assured me calmly.

"What if you get caught, too?" I exclaimed much too loudly. "Billy or Old Quil wouldn't have a problem digging in your coat, would they now?"

"They aren't going to rummage through _my_ coat," Leah remarked with a roll of her eyes. "Give it to me when you're done. I'll pass it on to Quil later."

"Are you sure?" My panic subsided only marginally, but as it was Leah, I felt more certain of the promised outcome.

"I'm absolutely sure," Leah vowed sternly and I could no more doubt her than I could doubt Alice's obsession with fashion.

Conversely, I felt at once comforted and dismayed by the thought of Alice; comforted at the thought of her and yet dismayed by the request I had asked of her – a request I knew would only bring her frustration in the end.

"I had better start sketching, then."

"Before you do, drive further west," Leah recommended to me, nodding at the far stretch of Mora Road in front of us. "I don't know how much Billy might have seen of Quil's objective, so we better be careful."

Moving the car for the third time that morning, I drove until the corner of Mora Road was no longer visible in the rearview mirror. However, Leah pushed me even further – keeping me on the road for another mile and a half until we pulled into Leyendecker Park.

"We can get out here," Leah explained to my slightly frustrated expression. "There are some tables for your sketching."

Accepting the offer of a flat surface to draw on, I drew in a deep breath and followed Leah and Embry out into the chill December air and over to a promised table.

By no means a masterpiece, the new map still steadily looked more and more like the original from which I copied it. A few slightly disproportionate corners or curves, but when compared to a real map of the area, the Cullens would have no problem understanding the layout.

The sun, light but visible against the landscape, had not yet reached the ten o'clock angle by the time I finished a roughhewn sketch of the treaty's boundary lines.

"That's about it," I announced quietly, careful not to be overly noisy around the hidden watchers in the woods.

"Great, I'll keep it in my coat," Leah restated our objective, taking the old map and rolling it as it had been when Quil brought it to us.

"You guys probably better get back," I told the two young Quileutes upon our return to the car. "You won't have far to walk from here."

"Not until we get you an alternate road out of here," Leah debated the point. "It's not exactly an organized city block, Mireille."

"You've never driven here before and it can be confusing," Embry concurred and made himself more comfortable in the backseat.

Resigned to my lot, I shook my head and let the two of them guide me in a circuitous route over the river, up Richwine Road, and then on a long trek northeast on Quillayute Road. In our efforts of avoiding the majority of La Push Road, Leah and Embry led me only as far as the bridge over the Sol Duc River.

"How are you two going to get back from here without freezing to death?" I demanded of Leah and Embry. "Quillayute Road is eons long!"

"We have our ways," Embry demurred with a small smile.

"Just not ways you can take a car," Leah elaborated, grinning deviously.

"Thanks for clearing my way," I told my companions more seriously, putting the car in park for what I hoped would be the last time. "You've been wonderful about everything. Tell Quil thank you, as well."

"I'll tell him," Embry promised. "I'll see you soon, Mireille. Hopefully."

Smiling at the tall teenager, I didn't return the sentiment. I couldn't. I had no real hope of meeting the rebellious Quileute teens again unless it was under peaceful terms with the pack – something I simply couldn't imagine happening in the near future.

Embry stood from the car and waited outside while Leah faced me a bit more knowingly than her younger compatriot.

"I think we both hope he's wrong," Leah admitted without tension. "At least until things change with the elders and Sam's little gang."

"Thanks for understanding." I smiled more genuinely at the eighteen-year-old. "Happy birthday, Leah."

"Until better times come," Leah parted ways eloquently and closed the passenger door behind her, soon joining Embry in a comfortable amble back the way we had come. When the pair disappeared into the trees less than a minute later, taking a side road I had barely noticed, I shook my head wryly.

Fully and completely alone as I now was, I let the high of a seemingly successful scheme fall to the wayside, making room for a much larger concern.

Alice still hadn't called.

None of the Cullens had contacted me, even via text message.

Chewing my lip took up mere seconds before I caved to the urge of using my gift to determine what I should do. Breathing deeply – once, twice, three times – I sank into the intuitive force of my ability.

The wordless intuition called to me like a siren in my soul, the gift which both guided and tortured with indirect urges that told me nothing.

Stay…. Don't leave….

Infuriated by the recurring message of staying indefinitely in the confines of La Push, I slammed my hands violently against the steering wheel and nearly burst into a blend of tears and rage.

Why couldn't I just _leave_?

Despairing of my future, I felt nearly suffocated in the enclosed space of my car. Trapped again, as I felt trapped by the pack's whims. Not receiving communication or contact wore me down as much as anything else.

Desperate for escape from the feeling of confinement, I snatched my bag from the center console and wrenched open the driver's side door, swiftly exiting onto the dirt shoulder of the road.

Stalking back and forth with my cell phone in hand comprised my indecisive time in the cold atmosphere. From the dirt side of the road to the bridge where it stood suspended above the low tides of the river, I paced and paced until my legs grew weary, wavering between preventing a war on the Cullens' land or leaving anyway.

There was no possibility, however, of leaving my vampires to such an unsavory, unnecessary duel, but I felt stretched to my limits in this prison of a territory.

In such high condition of pressure, I wished bitterly for Sam to just approach me rather than waiting in the shadows of the woods.

Surely there was a way to draw him from his hiding place, even just to ream him out for the way everyone attempted to rip me away from the Cullens….

"Mireille Whitlock?"

Gasping in shock, I swung around on the spot to face a set of features I knew from only one encounter in the year I had lived with the Cullens.

Dressed lightly in shorts and a cut-sleeve tank top, a tall and familiar young man with short black hair and long, rounded musculature stepped forward from the tree line with a hint of nerves fluttering across his mouth.

Surprised by the latter, I nevertheless challenged his identity. "Are you Jared Cameron?"

"I am," the shapeshifter answered confidently, but my eyes spied the flash of surprise in his brown eyes.

"What do you want?"

"To talk," Jared acknowledged, the suggestion all but foreign to me where it concerned the wolves.

"To talk?" I repeated laughingly, shocked by my own potent emotions. "You have a funny way of showing it!"

"Now, I'm not trying to start a fight," Jared retorted, voice steeped with frustration.

"Not like the last time, right, Jared?" I snapped back, a full and deadly glare overtaking my face.

"Can we just cut to the chase?" Jared cut off whatever else might have escaped my unruly mouth, adding more kindly than I expected, "Look, if those leeches are holding you back…."

"I should have known you would try more of this garbage," I growled from the back of my throat, eyes turned to blue devils in the pale sunlight. "Don't call them that!"

"We can help you!" Jared insisted., taking a step forward onto the road.

"I don't want your 'help' as you call it." Scorn dripped from every word I spoke. "I don't need anything from you."

Each memory, each connection I shared with the Cullens over the course of our time together reared up in my mind in flashes too numerous to pinpoint every moment in words.

Jasper's muscled arm lay over my shoulders, holding me fast from the churlish boys at school. Rosalie's strength enshrouded me as she efficiently and respectfully created a seamless natural style to the wreck Vanessa's knife had left behind. Emmett's big, protective arms encircled me as they had once done after Lauren's cruel comments in the locker room. So many memories and so much care. Not a single moment wasted to prove how much the entire Cullen family cared about my well-being. Theirs was the only help I desired.

"Don't you understand?" Jared went on, no sense of comprehension in his eager, sympathetic gaze. "You can get away, free and clear. We won't let them hurt you!"

"It's you who doesn't understand!" I began to shout, red glazing my sight with all-consuming rage. "Not one of the Cullens would ever hurt me! They're not monsters and they never will be! I don't _want_ to get away from them! Get that through your stupid heads! It's _you_ I want to get away from – you and your whole ignorant, prejudiced pack! How many times do I have to speak the truth before you _listen to it_?!"

Jared stared, open-mouthed and blinking, while the last syllables echoed around us, harsh and desperate.

The world itself remained gentle and quiet. Birds twittered in the trees, squirrels chattered over their hoarded treasures…. The world went on softly about its day, heedless of my sharp, keening heartbreak.

Visibly shaken by the severity of my resonating response, Jared swallowed sharply and stepped – not just past the edge of the road, but across its entirety – to reach me. I backed up in a hurry, purely out of self-preservation, and Jared stopped on a dime with further shock.

"It's hard to argue someone doesn't know what they're doing," Jared finally, unwillingly conceded, "when they clearly _do_ know…. You must really be desperate for company."

"Have you ever thought I might simply _care_ about them?" I wondered sardonically. Before Jared could respond, I answered my own question, "No, of course you haven't. You would never dare think of anything that might humanize the Cullens."

Deliberating his own displeasure over the idea, Jared actually took a step back in his eyes – I only hoped it was to reconsider everything I'd shouted in his face. There could be no end to the indignant frustration I felt for all the times the pack and the elders had question the Cullens intentions and my own intelligence and understanding.

"Talk to Sam."

"What?" I repeated incredulously, already turning away with a scoff despite my earlier desire to speak with Sam in person.

"No, I'm serious," Jared pressed. "Sam isn't a bad guy. We all thought you were brainwashed or threatened into staying. With a speech like that, I really think he'd be willing to compromise."

"I don't have any obligation to compromise with you," I retorted immediately. "The Cullens haven't done anything wrong and I should be free to choose where I live and who I live with."

"Sam will at least consider what you're saying," Jared hastily rephrased, backing away a step.

"I swear to God, if you're trying to keep me here…" I warned helplessly.

"I'm not," Jared denied, voice rising higher as he threw his hands up in surrender. "I swear it!"

If ever there was a true reason for my being in La Push, then certainly this choice had to be it. And if ever there was a moment to use my gift, this was definitely the moment. Eyeing Jared contemplatively, I let him stand there, stewing in his own juice until I decided my path.

Sinking into my thoughts with eyes wide open, I wandered through the process of meeting Sam there in the trees, arguing my point as vehemently – or perhaps more so – as I did with Jared. Sam faced a deeper reasoning for his hatred and bias, after all. Leah's bittern isolation and Emily's heavily scarred features told the tale more clearly than words ever could. But Sam wasn't unreasonable, was he? He couldn't be a leader to Paul without having some sense of wisdom to his actions…

So I would talk, argue, debate, and Sam might possibly listen and hear the truth in my voice, if not in the words themselves.

My gift didn't necessarily say yes to meeting Sam or arguing my side of the conversation, but it did tell me to stay. It had been saying that for two weeks. Always, always stay.

That was enough for me.

"All right," I replied at last.

Jared stood a little taller, but still kept his distance. "You'll meet with Sam?"

"Yes, I'll meet with him."

"Great," Jared exhaled on a relieved sigh. "Just wait here and I'll bring Sam back."

"I'm counting on it," I remarked neutrally, leaning back against the Acura to watch Jared trot back into the trees across the road and disappear from view into the greenery.

I never heard a single sound of the sixteen-year-old's transformation, not even a rustle of weeds that one might expect when a young man morphed into a gigantic wolf, but then I wondered if Jared even needed to do so in order to find Sam. He might already have known where to find the alpha.

In the lengthy interim, waiting for Sam and Jared to return, I heaved at least four different wretched sighs and set about pacing the lengthy distance of the bridge in mindless anxiety.

"Look at how they've got you _wound up_."

Prepared to see Sam and Jared at last, I spun on my heel expectantly.

Standing at the end of the bridge was not Sam and Jared, but a face I nonetheless recognized as well as I had recognized Jared's far less disturbed features. This shapeshifter shared none of Jared's lighter façade, an interwoven sense of anger and unbalanced temperament leveling a handsome young face with ugly disposition.

My own anger, which had ebbed and flowed in alternating gentler and heavier currents the entire time I spent in La Push, enflamed my soul in a vicious burst of anger.

"Paul Lahote, I take it?" I queried sardonically, barely holding back the bite of rage peeking at the edges of my emotions.

"Oh, they told you my name," Paul assumed sarcastically, playacting a face of happy surprise before it dropped into a heavy scowl to match the darkening clouds above our heads. "Already a break in the treaty. We should have known they wouldn't keep their end of the bargain."

"You can thank Jacob, Quil, and Embry for that break, actually," I remarked. Much as I hated to throw the boys under the bus, they weren't actually responsible for what they didn't know. "At the bonfire, they were kind enough to point out the greatest obstacles to my peaceful existence."

"Peaceful," Paul spat, although he seemed surprisingly calm in the face of our mutually obvious feelings on the subject at hand. "Your bloodsuckers are going to kill you one day. Do you want to die?"

"How dare you! They would never harm me!" The bite of wrath sprung far past my level of self-control, in dark contrast to a gentle sprinkle of rain as it began to fall.

"Oh, really." Paul snorted humorously in a situation that had no humor whatsoever. "What about when your blood smells too sweet for them to resist? When the call of their evil overcomes the human mask they wear?"

My ire knew no limits as the words engraved themselves hurtfully onto my heart. All of Jasper's impossible work to resist the temptation of blood – of his unwanted history – swung into my thoughts. Esme's brave, strong choice to visit me in the hospital and resist the call of temptation with a will of iron. Poor Edward, so desperate to save me from Greg and Vanessa in those woods and yet trapped by his self-discipline so that he would never hurt me as they did.

Matched by contrarily icy freezing rain that fell in a sudden deluge over the land, fires of fury rose like a tidal wave over my every good intention and negotiated agreement. Whatever offer I had agreed to with Jared, Paul had effectively ruined it with his ungracious outrage and his false accusations. Sam and Jared had probably planned it anyway, hadn't they? I couldn't help but see it that way.

I was under no contract to keep oath with oath breakers.

"You don't know them," I bit back, teeth scraping more tightly against each other than the edges of a steel clamp. "You have no idea what strength they have inside."

"You're so far under their control you can't even talk sense!" Paul exclaimed in disbelief, throwing his arms out into the air with a true blaze of anger, hands clenched into fists that belied the temperamental change so near at hand in Paul's mind.

"I'm done with this conversation," I ground out, voice squelched to almost nothing in the punishing weather. Finished with mindless drones of suspicion and fear, I moved back toward Paul, hoping to stalk past the appalled wolf and make for the Acura in short order.

"You should stay here until their powers have worn off," Paul growled deep in his chest, swiftly reaching out to swipe at my wrist with his fingers.

Wrenching my arm out of reach and backing away onto the bridge, I spit venomously at the shapeshifter, "Take your hands off of me, _dog_!"

Brown eyes widened in righteous indignation and taut lips started to tremble with affront. My gift's warning, now becoming clear in a rush of intuitive fright, made its indelible mark.

Paul's tall, muscular form began to shake like the waves of a hurricane crashing against the shoreline.

Terrified in a single beat of my heart's crashing rhythm, I turned and sprinted in the opposite direction with my badly-weighted tote bag beating painfully against my side, ironically traveling along the very treaty line which now defined my freedom.

Undeniably grateful Edward and Jasper had convinced me not to stop working out, even after Daniel no longer trained me, I pushed my legs ever harder on the increasingly slippery bridge. Without the ongoing physical training I consequently created for myself, I would never have run fast enough in those first moments to gain an advantage over the fearful claws and piercing canines that emerged from what once had been human hands and teeth.

Glancing back only once, I stared in horror at the massive wolf left behind, dark silver fur gleaming for a few dry seconds until the freezing rain matted it into a grizzled and petrifying specter of rage.

* * *


End file.
